Wildtype makes waves as first cultivated seafood cleared for US sale

In a major milestone for the cultivated protein industry, San Francisco-based startup Wildtype is now serving the product in a US restaurant following a successful FDA clearance. This makes Wildtype’s salmon the first cultivated seafood available to consumers worldwide, and the third cultivated protein to enter the US market.

The FDA issued a 'no questions' letter on 28 May 2025, concluding that it had no safety concerns based on the materials submitted by Wildtype. The agency reviewed the company’s safety assessment of its production process and final product, a sushi-grade salmon made from coho salmon cells.

“This letter concludes Wildtype Inc.’s consultation with the Food and Drug Administration regarding a cultured animal cell food product,” the agency wrote in a letter to CEO & Co-founder Justin Kolbeck. “We did not identify a basis for concluding that the production process... would be expected to result in food that bears or contains any substance or microorganism that would adulterate the food.”

Wildtype’s production process involves growing salmon cells in food-grade bioreactors, using ingredients and conditions consistent with commercial food manufacturing – not lab environments. The result is a raw, cultivated salmon product that avoids common contaminants found in wild or farmed fish, such as mercury, microplastics, and antibiotics.

In the USA, the FDA oversees both scientific pre-harvest review as well as labeling and nutrition for cultivated seafood, as it does for all other seafood.

The company’s product made its commercial debut in late May at Kann, the Portland, Oregon restaurant led by James Beard Award-winning chef Gregory Gourdet. It is currently available one night a week in June, with plans for daily service in July. Wildtype intends to expand to four additional US restaurants later this year.

“At Kann, we take pride in the ingredients we utilize,” said Gourdet. “Introducing Wildtype's cultivated salmon to our menu hits the elevated and sustainable marks we want our menu to offer guests who share a similar value system to ours.”

The achievement was recognized by the Association for Meat, Poultry, and Seafood Innovation (AMPS), the trade association representing cultivated protein companies in the USA, and a lead organization in the Global Cellular Agriculture Alliance (GCAA).

“Wildtype’s achievement is a watershed moment for domestic seafood production and for the cultivated protein industry overall,” said Dr Suzi Gerber, Executive Director of AMPS. “The thoughtful, evidence-driven review proves that innovative food technologies meet the highest safety standards, and can play a vital role in healthy American diets, while strengthening our food system’s domestic production and resilience, supporting the President’s executive order to expand seafood production in the USA.”

AMPS also stated: “This will mean 100% American-made, healthy, fresh, sushi-grade seafood grown directly from fish cells will be on menus at restaurants in the USA, making cultivated proteins available to American consumers from now on, beginning May 2025.”

President Donald Trump signed an executive order in April 2025 titled 'Restoring American Seafood Competitiveness', which calls for boosting domestic seafood supply chains through innovation and investment – including cultivated and alternative sources. The order emphasizes increasing American seafood production while reducing dependence on imports. Wildtype cultivated salmon could play an important role in meeting those goals.

Wildtype submitted its initial safety dossier to the FDA in June 2022, followed by a series of amendments through early 2025. The agency’s final response letter concludes the process and clears the company to legally market the product under existing food regulations. As with any food company, Wildtype remains responsible for ensuring ongoing compliance with all relevant laws.

The FDA also publishes a permanent public inventory of all completed cell culture consultations to ensure transparency. Wildtype’s salmon is the fourth product to complete the agency’s review, and the third to reach the US market. The full safety summary and agency memorandum are accessible on the FDA’s website.

As Wildtype ramps up limited restaurant distribution, its salmon is not planned for retail sale at this time. For now, the company is focused on introducing the product through partnerships with chefs committed to sustainability.

The debut dish at Kann features the cultivated salmon served with pickled strawberry, spiced tomato, strawberry juice, and an epis rice cracker – designed to highlight the ingredient’s versatility and flavor.

Wildtype emphasized its priority of transparency for the FDA process and its broader mission to offer a clean, sustainable seafood alternative. The company has published its full safety assessment and the FDA’s letter online and continues to engage with chefs and consumers around the country.

As the first cultivated seafood to reach global and American tables, Wildtype’s salmon signals a new phase for alternative proteins – and a turning point for how future seafood may be sourced.

(Main photo courtesy of Maren Caruso)