MeaTech to collaborate with Umami Meats to develop cultured seafood with its 3D printing technology

Photo © iStockphoto.com/skynesher

MeaTech 3D Ltd. (Rehovot, Israel) has signed a memorandum of understanding with Umami Meats for the joint development of 3D-printed cultured structured seafood. Umami Meats is a Singapore-based cultured seafood company with a focus on developing species expected to experience severe supply shortages in the near future, due to climate change, overfishing, and growing consumer demand. Singapore is the only country, currently, that has authorized the production and distribution of cultured meat, and the collaboration opens the door for both companies into the Asian market.

The current collaboration with Umami Meats is part of a larger strategy by MeaTech to collaborate with other companies in the alternative meat space, taking advantage of the company’s flexibility in technological and biological capabilities to develop and print a range of meat types. MeaTech will now be adding seafood to its portfolio of bovine, avian, and porcine products under development. According to the company, its innovative 3D bioprinting technology can produce complex meat products with precision at an industrial rate of production without impacting cell viability.

“We are very pleased about this new agreement which reflects our commercialization strategy of industry collaboration using our unique 3D printing capabilities,” said Arik Kaufman, MeaTech’s chief executive officer and founder, in a press release. “We are excited about entering into the seafood sector and believe it will lead us to new market pathways throughout Asia and worldwide.”

“We are delighted to establish this collaboration with MeaTech to expand our product range with their 3D printing capabilities. This partnership will enable us to build upon our technology platform for cultivating fish muscle and fat to produce a variety of structured products that meet the desires of discerning consumers,” added Mihir Pershad, Umami Meats’ chief executive officer and founder. “We believe cultivated seafood holds tremendous potential to provide a local, sustainable source of healthy protein and to address many of the challenges facing our food system and our oceans.”