BlueNalu and Pulmuone to launch cell-cultivated seafood in South Korea

American cellular aquaculture company BlueNalu has forged a partnership with Pulmuone to commercialise its cell-based seafood in South Korea.

The two companies have agreed to collaborate and focus on areas including marketing, regulatory, operations and distribution.

BlueNalu president and CEO Lou Cooperhouse said: “This agreement with Pulmuone represents our shared values and respect for healthy families, a healthy ocean, and a healthy planet.

“We plan to launch BlueNalu cell-based seafood products initially in the US, but we also recognise there is significant and increasing market demand for high-quality seafood in South Korea, while supply becomes increasingly vulnerable and potentially contaminated with microplastics, mercury, and environmental pollutants.

“Partnerships are critical for our success and we are proud to partner with Pulmuone.”

The new agreement is part of BlueNalu’s strategy to accelerate the introduction of its cell-based seafood products in the Asian markets.

Pulmuone CTO Sang Yun Lee said: “This is an exciting collaboration with BlueNalu that we anticipate will allow us to introduce cell-based seafood products in South Korea that we know our customers will enjoy.

“While a product launch is still several years away, we recognize that the global seafood supply is compromised, unpredictable and cannot keep up with demand, so our mutual goal is to accelerate BlueNalu’s introduction to our customers with a product that meets consumer expectations in terms of taste, texture and nutrition, while also providing benefits for the planet and the well-being of families.”

Last month, BlueNalu announced plans to enhance its production capabilities, as well as its research and development (R&D), project management, and engineering teams.

As part of this, the company signed a lease agreement for a new 38,000ft² facility in San Diego to accommodate its administrative, R&D and manufacturing space.