The Netherlands to allow cell-cultured meat tastings; Chef Laurent Manrique partners with Aqua Cultured Foods

SeafoodSource is closely following the plant-based and cell-based seafood alternatives market by compiling a regular round-up of updates from the sector.

-On 5 July, The Netherlands gave its approval for cultivated meat and seafood products to be tasted in controlled environments, according to Forbes. The Netherlands becomes the first country within the European Union to approve tastings of cell-cultured products - the E.U. does not allow samples of cultivated meat products under its health and safety measures, but the Netherlands has been granted a limited waiver after being asked for permission by cell-cultured pork company Meatable.

“By enabling the tasting of cultivated meat, The Netherlands maintains its pioneering role in Europe and beyond. For Meatable, this means that we can allow consumers to taste and experience our products, and make our products even better with their feedback," Meatable CEO Krijn de Nood said.

The proposal was issued in March 2022 to the Dutch House of Representatives by Tjeerd de Groot, a member of the D66 party. De Groot has been advocating for cultivated food tastings since 2018, Forbes reported. A waiver was also granted to cell-based meat company Mosa Meat.

"Mosa Meat will use these controlled tastings to gather invaluable feedback on our products and to educate key stakeholders about the role cellular agriculture can play in helping Europe meet our food sovereignty and sustainability goals,” Mosa Meat's CEO Maarten Bosch.

Cultivated meat and seafood tastings are currently permitted in Israel, Singapore, and the U.S., The European Union does not allow samples of cultivated meat products under its health and safety measures. 

- Plant-based seafood company Aqua Cultured Foods has joined forces with Michelin-starred chef Laurent Manrique to help it build its seafood analog portfolio. Manrique will work on perfecting the taste, flavor, texture, and color of the start-up’s tuna analog, whitefish analog, calamari analog, shrimp analog, and scallop analog, Vegnews reports.

“Every day we are looking for ways to truly make our product exceptional and we realized that in order to achieve that mission, we had to surround ourselves with the best chefs in the world who are as obsessed with taste as we are,” Aqua Cultured Foods CEO and founder Anne Palermo said. 

The partnership arose when Manrique’s son learned about the startup through his job. 

“Chef Laurent’s son learned about our company while doing research at his job, and then he connected us with his father,” Aqua Cultured Foods Co-Founder Brittany Chibe said. 

 - ABC News has profiled Upside Foods, which obtained label approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and received a grant of inspection to sell the analog chicken products in June.

Photo courtesy of Laurent Manrique