In South Korea, Dokdo shrimp has been cultivated in a lab for the first time. CellMEAT says it has created several prototypes with different sizes and shapes, and all were produced with serum-free culture medium. The company will now work to scale up production and lower costs. Currently, CellMEAT can produce about 5 kilograms of cultivated meat a day.
Taste-tester Jimmy Sohn, CEO of alternative protein consultancy TechnoPlus, reported the Dokdo shrimp “far exceeded” expectation on taste and texture. However, the South Korean government has yet to approve cultivated meat for consumer sale.
CellMEAT also plans to add different seafood species to its portfolio, particularly those that have not successfully been farmed such as lobster and king crab.