November 6, 2023

Maruha Nichiro will Sell "cultured fish meat," Made by Culturing Fish Cells, Overseas in the Fiscal Year 2027

The company will establish a low-cost technology to produce fish paste products like kamaboko (fish cake) with a start-up company in Singapore. There is a fear that marine resources may become scarce due to the increase in the world's population, and there is an active race to develop cultured fish meat, especially in foreign countries. Major fisheries companies are also under pressure to change their business structure to not rely solely on fishing and are developing new business fields.

Cultured fish meat is increased by feeding nutrients to cells taken from fish and growing them in a culture system. Cultured meat has been approved for sale by startup companies in Singapore and the US and is now being offered to restaurants. Cultured fish meat has yet to be purchased, as no company has received government approval in their respective countries.

Maruha Nichiro will collaborate with Singapore-based Umami Bioworks, which it invested in August, to develop cultured fish meat products. Maruha Nichiro may either build its production line or bear some of Umami's investment in a manufacturing facility to be set up in the country.

Umami has the technology to use artificial intelligence to calculate appropriate conditions, such as the ratio of nutrients and culture temperature, for efficient cell growth. In grouper, for example, development has progressed to the stage where it can be tasted.

Cultured fish meat is expected to be in demand at high-end supermarkets in Singapore and the U.S. According to Nishimura & Asahi, cultured fish meat will begin to spread around 2030. The global market is expected to reach several hundred billion yen by 2050.