Project Clean Fish – Alternative food from cell culture
Kaesler Nutrition is laying the groundwork for entry into cellular agriculture with the Clean Fish project. The project aims at finding an alternative to industrial fishing and aquaculture in order to protect marine biodiversity, counteract overfishing of the oceans and reduce CO₂ emissions. In addition, this method, just like vertical farming, i.e. the cultivation of plants on culture medium, can save up to 90% of raw materials.
Project facts
The two-year research project for the development of media components for the production of in-vitro fish meat started on 1 October 2021 in cooperation with the Thünen Institute for Fishery Ecology. The project is funded within the PFAU program (Program for the Promotion of Applied Environmental Technologies) by Bremerhavener Gesellschaft für Investitionsförderung und Stadtentwicklung mbH (BIS). This project is co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) as part of the Union's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Cellular agriculture
Cellular agriculture is a relatively young and promising technology. The aim is to grow food such as fish or meat directly from cells (in vitro fish / in vitro meat). In this process, meat, just like yogurt or yeast, is produced in a fermenter: Stem cells are obtained from a biopsy on fish. These are grown in complex nutrient solutions and developed in a controlled process, first into muscle tissue cells and finally into fish meat. A major challenge here is the complex nutrient solutions, which are essential for the survival and healthy growth of the cells: in addition to vitamins, salts, amino acids, peptides, carbohydrates, fats and trace elements, growth factors are also included.
The latter in particular must be produced as cheaply and sustainably as possible. This is precisely where Kaesler Nutrition comes in with the development and optimisation of nutrient solution components for fish cells. A cell culture methodology for fish cells is being established at the research site in Bremerhaven to advance the development of a sustainable nutrient solution.
Alternatives to industrial fishing and aquaculture
As a cooperation partner, the Thünen Institute for Fishery Ecology will conduct pollutant and nutrient analyses with the products that have been developed and compare them with samples of fish caught in the wild. The aim of the study is to increase consumer acceptance of in vitro fish in general.
