BlueNalu is a cell-cultured seafood company at the forefront of sustainability that tackles the issues that come with the seafood supply chain. Unsustainable fishing practices leading to things like bycatch have led to overfishing in order to meet the major demands of hungry consumers. As a result of this and other environmental challenges like pollution, sea level rise and ocean acidification, the number of fish in the ocean is increasingly vulnerable. This unsustainable cycle has led to unproductive ecosystems and fisheries being severely deteriorated. BlueNalu’s goal is to create a third seafood option for consumers that has the potential to transform the seafood industry, and in doing so, inform the public about the importance of humanely produced cell-cultured seafood and conservation of the marine environment.

BlueNalu will make a wide variety of sustainable, cell-cultured seafood products for consumers worldwide. The process starts by taking small samples from a variety of fish species, which are typically high in demand and imported, critically threatened, difficult to farm raise or usually high in environmental pollutants like mercury.  From there, samples are grown in a nutrient broth and propagated at larger volumes in bioreactors. Once the fat cells, muscle cells, and connective tissue cells have grown, they are formed into a seafood product, whether it be fillets or poke cubes. BlueNalu’s truly ingenious products supplement the traditional aquaculture and fishing industry in a fresh new way.

At BlueNalu, the commitment to sustainability and transparency is key to growing a consumer base. Shara Narsipur, BlueNalu’s Communications Manager, explains that consumers have a negative perception of “lab-grown” fish, but in reality, BlueNalu’s fish is made much like any other product in a food production facility. In fact, because the meat is not exposed to the ocean, it does not contain harmful metals like mercury or other contaminants like microplastics. The creation process of the products are documented on their website, allowing consumers to see for themselves just how healthy BlueNalu’s seafood is.

To draw eyes towards current ocean conservation efforts and seafood sustainability, BlueNalu created the Eat Blue™ educational platform, an initiative that discusses relevant environmental issues and links ocean, human, and animal health to consumers. The site provides resources on sustainability, overfishing, and the blue economy as well as ways to take action and join the Eat Blue™ movement. It’s a demonstration of BlueNalu’s environmental values and an effort to educate consumers so they have the tools to make more informed food and lifestyle choices.

Over the next few years, BlueNalu hopes to scale up their production processes to start selling their products in select San Diego restaurants. BlueNalu recently started collaborating with two major seafood providers in Asia, Thai Union and Mitsubishi Corporation, demonstrating their potential for major expansion and global interest. Their first species to market will be mahi mahi and will likely lower to price parity as time goes on, making them an accessible third option to conventional wild-caught and farmed-raised seafood.  

They aim to become an impactful brand, changing the industry and world’s view on food security and connections to the ocean. BlueNalu’s integrity, desire to keep their processes transparent and humane, and dedication to human and planetary health make them a company to look out for in the near future.

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