Nomad Foods, Europe’s leading frozen food company and BlueNalu, a leading innovative food company developing a variety of seafood products directly from fish cells, have agreed to explore the introduction of cell-cultured seafood in Europe, where demand for sustainably produced, healthy seafood products continues to grow. Europe is the largest importer of seafood in the world due to high consumption rates, with EU citizens consuming more than three times as much as they produce.
The agreement represents the first of its kind in Europe between a consumer packaged goods company and a cell-cultured seafood company, and underpins Nomad Foods’ commitment to sustainable growth through the development and scaling of emerging food technologies. The agreement also signifies a mutual interest in the commercialization of cell-cultured seafood in Europe to help meet rising demand and support wider efforts to safeguard the long-term availability of quality, affordable seafood that is healthy for people and sustainable for the planet. It includes a collaboration to conduct market research and identify consumer insights, assess regulatory requirements, and explore new business and product opportunities that would be unlocked by the introduction of cell-cultured seafood throughout Europe.
“The food industry is at a transformational moment as consumer demand for nutritious, high-quality food is growing, the importance of sustainability has never been more apparent, and the role of technology in delivering these needs is accelerating,” Stéfan Descheemaeker, chief executive officer, Nomad Foods said. “We are at the forefront of a generational shift towards healthier, more sustainable eating and are delighted to announce our collaboration with BlueNalu. Their breakthrough technology in cell-cultured seafood perfectly aligns with our purpose and will enable us to continue to introduce innovative and great tasting seafood products that are good for people, good for the planet and accessible to all.”