Our oceans are dying. This might seem like a harsh stance, but the reality is study after study indicates that we are taking too many fish and marine species out of the oceans and putting way more pollution than even the most vast waters can handle. Experts predict that there will be more plastic in the oceans than fish by the year 2050 and overfishing has become so extreme that global fishstocks could collapse within that time frame as well. Add ocean acidification, rising sea temperatures and levels, and climate change into the mix, well, you get it.
You see, life as we know it relies on having healthy, stable oceans. Oceans provide up to 80 percent of our oxygen, act as carbon sinks absorbing around 30 percent of the carbon dioxide we release a year, and help to regulate our climate.
Reducing the amount of seafood we consume is another major area that can help alleviate the strain on overtaxed oceans. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like demand for fish or shellfish is going down and many people see these as “healthier” alternatives to beef, pork or chicken, and often believe eating fish is necessary to get enough Omega-3s (for the record, it’s not). This is where BlueNalu, an innovative new company that is pioneering cellular aquaculture comes in.
Lou Cooperhouse, Co-Founder, President, and CEO of BlueNalucomes from a long career in the food industry having worked for giants such as ConAgra and Campbell’s Soup, but when he started noticing the rise of the cellular agriculture industry and recognized it’s potential applications for seafood, he knew this was a technology that could provide a real solution. In this fascinating and hopeful conversation, Lou gets into BlueNalu’s plans to develop cell-based salmon, tuna, shellfish, and more.
BlueNalu is a pioneer in “cellular aquaculture™”, in which living cells are isolated from fish tissue, placed into culture media for proliferation, and then assembled into fresh and frozen seafood products.
BlueNalu secured $4.5 million in seed round funding led by mission-driver investment firm New Crop Capital.
Karen Gay says
November 18, 2018 at 2:01 pmWayne, thanks so much for posting this article! It’s like waving a red flag and it gives me a chance to spout off about industrial food again. There are some clues in this article about what we can expect from a quality perspective. Con-Agra and Campbell’s produce food that is replete with pesticides, herbicides and so-called natural flavorings. Feeding these foods to your family can lead to allergies, headaches and long term health problems. Anyone wonder why everyone these days is sick? Here’s one of the many answers.
I don’t know what’s in this manufactured food but I don’t want any part of it! I’ll continue to buy fresh vegetables and meat, preferably from a farmer and make my own food.
Jane McKinley says
November 18, 2018 at 11:14 pmAgreed 100% Karen! Leave me out of this Brave New World!
However, that said, a solution to feeding all of the hungry people in third world countries is a serious problem that needs to be addressed. Not for me, but if this food is “safe” and can fill the empty stomachs of those who go hungry every day, then it may be worth pursuing.