San Francisco-based Wildtype has achieved a historic milestone as the first company to launch cultivated seafood in the United States, following FDA clearance of its cell-cultivated salmon product. The FDA issued a "no questions" letter on May 28, 2025, concluding it had no safety concerns based on materials submitted by the startup.
FDA Approval Process and Safety Assessment
The FDA's letter to CEO and Co-founder Justin Kolbeck stated: "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." This clearance makes Wildtype the fourth cultivated-protein producer to complete a US pre-market scientific and safety consultation, following UPSIDE Foods, GOOD Meat, and Mission Barns.
According to the FDA's scientific memo, Wildtype's cell lines were established from mesenchymal cells originally isolated from coho salmon at a Washington state hatchery during the "fry stage" of development. These cells are capable of dividing and developing into multiple cell types including fat, muscle, and connective tissue cells, and are adapted to grow in liquid suspension culture without surface attachment.
Production Technology and Product Characteristics
Wildtype's production process involves growing salmon cells in food-grade bioreactors using ingredients and conditions consistent with commercial food manufacturing rather than laboratory environments. The company's media formulation contains Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 (FGF2) but no longer includes expensive components from its original regulatory submission such as insulin, insulin-like growth factor (IGF), albumin, and transferrin.
The final product undergoes "post-harvest thermal processing" steps that serve to deactivate any residual growth factors. Compared to conventional coho salmon, the harvested cell material has lower total fat content and amino acid content, likely due to the absence of protein-rich extracellular structures found in conventional salmon products. Mineral levels were similar, with "modest decreases in the levels of iron, magnesium, potassium, and selenium in the harvested cell material."
Market Launch and Restaurant Debut
Wildtype's cultivated salmon made its commercial debut in late May at Kann, a Portland, Oregon restaurant led by James Beard Award-winning chef Gregory Gourdet. The product is currently available one night per week in June, with plans for daily service beginning in July. The company 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 debut dish features the cultivated salmon served with pickled strawberry, spiced tomato, strawberry juice, and an epis rice cracker.
Industry Impact and Regulatory Framework
Dr. Suzi Gerber, Executive Director of the Association for Meat, Poultry, and Seafood Innovation (AMPS), described Wildtype's achievement as "a watershed moment for domestic seafood production and for the cultivated protein industry overall. 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."
In the US, cultivated seafood falls under FDA jurisdiction, unlike cultivated meat and poultry which are regulated jointly by the FDA and USDA. The FDA oversees both scientific pre-harvest review as well as labeling and nutrition for cultivated seafood products.
Strategic Alignment with Policy Goals
The approval aligns with President Donald Trump's April 2025 executive order 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.
AMPS noted that this development means "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."
Company Background and Funding
Founded in late 2016 by cardiologist Dr. Aryé Elfenbein and former diplomat Justin Kolbeck, Wildtype has raised more than $123 million from investors including L Catterton, Leonardo DiCaprio, Bezos Expeditions, Temasek, S2G Ventures Oceans and Seafood Fund, Robert Downey Jr.'s FootPrint Coalition, and Cargill.
Wildtype submitted its initial safety dossier to the FDA in June 2022, followed by amendments through early 2025. As the company ramps up limited restaurant distribution, its salmon is not planned for retail sale at this time, with focus remaining on partnerships with sustainability-committed chefs.
