Cultured Fish Will Equal Price of Bluefin Tuna by 2019

Technology company Finless Foods announced this month it plans to offer its “cultured” or “clean” fish (made in a lab setting using an infinitesimal amount of fish cells) for the same price as expensive bluefin tuna by 2019. Finless CEO Mike Seldon chose to focus on being price competitive with that particular species of fish due to its fluctuating status as an endangered species. Seldon created a prototype in September for $19,000 per pound, and said the team has been able to reduce that amount by 50 percent in recent months. He expects the price to continue dropping dramatically as advancements are made in clean meat technology. “Initially, quantities will be limited,” Seldon told Foodnavigator USA, “and we’ll be working with chefs in high-end restaurants, doing some really interesting things just to spark a conversation and get the public to understand who we are—before going into grocery stores and other places.” Seldon explained that the company is currently closing a seed-funding round with investors who are interested in the future of food. “But our ultimate goal is to bring the price down so that consumers can have a choice of cheap albacore or skipjack tuna—or our high quality bluefin tuna, without any contaminants—for the same price.” Companies such as Hampton Creek and Memphis Meats are currently working on similar technologies with the ultimate goal of removing animal slaughter from the food industry.