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Europe’s first pilot plant for cultivated fish opens in Germany

Europe’s first pilot plant for cultivated fish opens in Germany

Europe’s first pilot plant for cultivated fish opens in Germany


German startup Bluu Seafood today launched Europe’s first pilot plant for cultivated fish.

The facility in Hamburg brings lab-grown seafood a step closer to the market. Bluu had previously developed the controversial food in a small lab in Lübeck, Germany. The new site expands the work across 2,000 square metres of customised research, production, and office space.

At the plant’s core are new fermenters for cultivating muscle, fat, and tissue cells from Atlantic salmon and rainbow trout.

The current devices have a capacity of 65 litres. But Bluu said they can increase to 2,000 litres, providing space to grow far larger quantities of fish.

The recipe begins by extracting cells from real salmon and trout. No animals are harmed during the making of this cuisine, Bluu promises. 

In the temperature-controlled fermenters, oxygen and nutrients are fed to the cells, which then develop and multiply. Once fully grown, the cell mass is harvested and refined. It’s then formed into familiar products, such as fish sticks or fish balls.

Cultivated fish approaches the market

An Atlantic salmon in Petri dish