This news follows BlueNalu’s recent acceptance into the UK Food Standards Agency’s novel foods regulatory sandbox and growing indicators of consumer interest in the region
BlueNalu, a global leader in cell-cultivated seafood, announced the expansion of its strategic partnership with Nomad Foods, Europe’s leading frozen food company, to support the future commercialisation of its cell-cultivated seafood products in the UK and across Europe. This news follows BlueNalu’s recent acceptance into the UK Food Standards Agency’s novel foods regulatory sandbox and growing indicators of consumer interest in the region.
New research sponsored by BlueNalu revealed strong enthusiasm among UK sushi consumers for cell-cultivated bluefin tuna toro, its first commercial product. In a survey of 2,000 frequent sushi eaters conducted in 2024, 92 per cent of respondents expressed interest in trying the product. The top perceived benefits included its potential absence of parasites, pesticides, microplastics, mercury, and antibiotics, followed by high omega-3 content. Additionally, 73 per cent of respondents indicated they would likely visit a sushi restaurant offering cell-cultivated toro, and 74 per cent expressed willingness to pay the same or more compared to conventional bluefin tuna, due to its potential benefits.
BlueNalu also supported a recent third-party academic study on nomenclature for these products in the UK as part of its commitment to transparency and responsible innovation worldwide. The study concluded that “cell-cultivated” and “cell-cultured” are appropriate consumer labelling terms, meeting essential regulatory and consumer acceptance criteria.
