Pulmuone Partners with US BlueNalu to Commercialize 'Cell-Cultured Seafood'

At the BlueNalu headquarters in San Diego, California, USA, Lee Sang-yoon, Director of Pulmuone Technology Institute (left), and Lou Cooperhouse, CEO of BlueNalu, shake hands after signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Saeng-hye] Pulmuone has become the first domestic food company to sign a business agreement with a U.S. cell-cultured seafood manufacturing startup and has embarked on a sustainable future food business.

On the 9th, Pulmuone announced that it had signed a business agreement with BlueNalu, an innovative food company producing seafood by culturing fish cells, regarding the cell-cultured seafood business. BlueNalu is a startup founded in 2018 in San Diego, California, USA, aiming for mass production and commercialization of cell-cultured seafood within the next few years.

Cell-cultured seafood is produced by culturing stem cells extracted from fish in a bioreactor and then undergoing a 3D printing process to create food in forms suitable for various uses. Pulmuone, the first domestic food company to partner with a cell-cultured seafood manufacturer, plans to collaborate with BlueNalu in various fields including marketing, regulatory affairs, business operations, and distribution to promote the domestic launch of cell-cultured seafood.

With seafood demand worldwide, including Asia, reaching record highs and steadily increasing, cell-cultured seafood is gaining attention as an alternative to wild-caught and farmed seafood. BlueNalu’s cell-based seafood farming technology is non-GMO and capable of producing various species of seafood free from microplastics, toxic substances, mercury, and other contaminants. In the wake of the global pandemic revealing vulnerabilities in humanity’s food supply system, traceable, transparent, and safe cell-cultured seafood is being spotlighted as a solution to food security issues.

Lee Sang-yoon, head of Pulmuone Technology Institute, said, "We are very pleased to be able to introduce BlueNalu’s cell-cultured seafood to Korea through this partnership. Although it will take several years until launch, amid the worsening global seafood supply-demand imbalance, we will work with BlueNalu to expedite the release of cell-cultured seafood products that satisfy Korean consumers’ demands for taste, texture, and nutrition while considering the global environment and family health."

Lou Cooperhouse, CEO of BlueNalu, stated, "While we plan to launch cell-cultured seafood first in the U.S., we are paying close attention to the Korean market, where seafood supply is unstable and issues such as microplastics and mercury contamination are raised, and demand for high-quality seafood is steadily increasing. We are very proud to collaborate with Pulmuone."

Meanwhile, BlueNalu’s corporate mission is to be a global leader in cell-based seafood farming, producing delicious, healthy, and safe seafood while preserving the sustainability and diversity of the marine environment. Founded in 2018 in San Diego, California, USA, BlueNalu raised $20 million in Series A funding in February this year from five global companies including Pulmuone. In June, it announced achievements such as facility expansion, CFO recruitment, and workforce reinforcement, and is actively promoting the commercialization of cell-cultured seafood.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.