A joint project of the foodtech startup BLUU Seafood, Reutlingen University and the University of Vechta has received funding of 1.32 million euros from the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture. The three-year research project is intended to help make alternative protein sources, in particular flavour-bearing, healthy fish fat cells, usable for human nutrition and thus open up new options for global food security in times of population growth and climate change.
More sustainability through cell-based fish
The project combines industrial research and commercial exploitation (BLUU Seafood), basic technological research (Prof. Dr. Petra Kluger, Reutlingen University) and basic social science research (Prof. Dr. Nick Lin-Hi, University of Vechta). The cell-based production of fish food counteracts the overfishing of waters and the accumulation of environmental toxins in food. In terms of taste, texture and appearance, the alternatively produced products are almost identical to the products known today.
BLUU Seafood is the largest European company in the production of cultured fish food in Europe. The company is investing a total of 760,000 euros in the project, of which about 500,000 euros will come from the funding. In June, the startup, which is based in Hamburg and Berlin, was already able to close a financing round of 16 million euros. Among other things, the money is flowing into a pilot production facility that is currently being built in Hamburg.
