First Approval of Farmed Salmon for Public Consumption

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved lab-cultivated salmon developed by San Francisco startup Wildtype, marking the first official authorization of cultivated seafood for public consumption in the United States. According to the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation (aT) Agricultural and Fisheries Food Export Information (KATI), this case is the first official approval of cultivated seafood in the U.S., demonstrating the potential for full-scale commercialization of the industry while also revealing institutional and social challenges. The FDA passed Wildtype's preliminary safety assessment and, through an official letter stating "no questions," confirmed that the cultivated salmon has a safety level equivalent to similar foods produced through traditional methods. The product is created by cultivating cells from live Pacific salmon, harvesting them, and combining them with plant-based materials to reproduce the appearance and taste of a standard fish ...