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Maruha Nichiro and IntegriCultre jointly develop large-scale cell culture technology to produce cultured fish meat
Aiming for the sustainable production of "next-generation fish protein"

September 7, 2021

Maruha Nichiro Corporation (Maruha Nichiro) has signed a development agreement with IntegriCulture Inc. (IntegriCulture), a cellular agriculture start-up, to promote joint research and development to establish large-scale cell culture methodologies aimed for production of food grade cell-based fish meat.

IntegriCulture is an innovative start-up company that aims to leverage on large-scale cell culture technology to supply sustainable and affordable protein.
The company's proprietary food grade culture media and general-purpose large-scale cell culture technology, "the CulNet System™", have been validated in beefand poultry cells, and this research aims to extend them to fish cells for the production of next-generation fish proteins. Maruha Nichiro will provide the live fish (cells) necessary for our study.

Since its establishment, Maruha Nichiro has contributed to people's food and health through the supply of high-quality fish protein. If the production of cultured fish meat using cell culture technology can be realized, it will open up the possibility of providing a sustainable means of supply to meet the world's growing demand for fish and reduce the risk of environmental impact.
Through this initiative, we aim to provide the world's fastest commercial production of food products made with cell culture technology at an affordable price to consumers in the future, and to provide the next generation of sustainable fish protein.

Aiming to be the world's largest and peerless seafood supplier, Maruha Nichiro is committed to creating new value for the next generation and a better world as a food manufacturer that creates many “Tastes” and “Happiness” using carefully selected ingredients. To achieve such goals, Maruha Nichiro continues to work with start-ups that challenge to solve social and environmental issues.