Israeli firm 'Steakholder' finally produces world's first 3D-printed fish fillets

The company held a tasting event at its Israel facilities. 
Loukia Papadopoulos
Steakholder's fish fillets.jpg
Steakholder's fish fillets.

Steakholder 

3D-printed cultivated meat company Steakholder Foods has developed the world’s first 3D bio-printed cultivated fish product engineered with customized bio-inks utilizing grouper cells provided by Umami Meats.

“We’re excited to be working with Umami Meats to develop 3D-printed structured fish products that have the same great taste and texture as traditionally caught fish, without harming the environment,” told the news outlet Arik Kaufman, CEO of Steakholder Foods.

To celebrate the milestone the company held a tasting event at its Israel facilities. 

“We are delighted to have produced the world’s first whole fillet cultivated fish in partnership with Steakholder Foods. In this first tasting, we showcased a cultivated product that flakes, tastes and melts in your mouth exactly like excellent fish should. In the coming months, we intend to announce our plans for bringing this world-class cultivated fish to the market,” said Mihir Pershad, CEO of Umami Meats.

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu even visited Steakholder Foods’ laboratory, where he was privy to the process of 3D-printing food and got to taste the cultivated fish firsthand.

Commercializing its bioprinter

The company also released a statement where it explained that being able to customize its bio-inks to external cell lines is a significant step towards commercializing its 3D bioprinter. 

“Having created a customized bio-ink that works effectively with Umami’s cells and optimized the taste and texture to meet the high standards of consumers, we anticipate expanding our collaborations to a greater variety of species with additional partners,” stated Kaufman to the Vegconomist. The firms are also collaborating on the development of 3D-printed cultivated eel.