Big news in the food world: Lab-grown salmon is no longer a futuristic idea — it’s here, FDA-approved, and being served at some of America’s hottest restaurants. That’s right, the first-ever cultivated seafood is officially on plates across the country, making waves for both foodies and sustainability advocates alike.
The lab-grown salmon is produced by Wildtype, a San Francisco-based company supported by high-profile investors including Jeff Bezos’s investment firm Bezos Expeditions, actor Leonardo DiCaprio, and Robert Downey Jr. Unlike plant-based substitutes, Wildtype’s product is real salmon meat cultivated directly from salmon cells.
The process begins with cells extracted from living Pacific salmon. These cells are grown in large steel tanks similar to those used in brewing beer or kombucha. Fed a nutrient-rich mix of proteins, sugars, fats, salts, and essential minerals such as iron and zinc, the cells multiply under conditions that closely replicate a salmon’s natural environment. After harvesting, the salmon cells are blended with plant-based ingredients to form a sushi-grade “saku” cut that is biologically indistinguishable from traditionally sourced salmon.
The lab-grown salmon made its debut at Kann, a Portland, Oregon restaurant helmed by James Beard Award-winning chef Gregory Gourdet, in late May 2025. Since then, it has expanded to four additional venues, including:
- Kann (Portland, Oregon) – Available daily since July 2025
- Otoko (Austin, Texas) – Featured in omakase menus
- Robin (San Francisco, California) – Serving since August 2025
- The Walrus and the Carpenter (Seattle, Washington) – Offered as part of a tostada dish
The FDA’s “no questions” letter issued to Wildtype on May 28, 2025, followed a comprehensive safety evaluation that began in June 2022 and involved eight rounds of production refinements. The agency concluded that Wildtype’s cultivated salmon is “as safe as comparable foods produced by other methods” and free from adulterating substances.
Unlike cultivated chicken and beef, which require dual FDA and USDA regulation, cultivated seafood falls exclusively under FDA jurisdiction. This streamlined process allowed Wildtype to navigate regulatory hurdles efficiently.
The lab-grown salmon boasts the same beneficial omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids found in wild-caught fish but avoids common contaminants such as mercury, microplastics, antibiotics, and parasites thanks to its sterile production environment. While its protein content is slightly lower than conventional salmon, the nutritional profile remains comparable.
Despite some skepticism around lab-grown meat, the FDA’s thorough review assures consumers that Wildtype’s product meets all safety standards. Experts highlight that cultivated meat production’s controlled environments may even reduce contamination risks relative to traditional farming and fishing methods. Still, long-term health effects will require ongoing research.
Wildtype is the fourth U.S. company to secure FDA approval for cultivated proteins, joining Upside Foods and Good Meat (chicken) and Mission Barns (pork fat). This milestone underscores the industry’s progress despite political challenges and regulatory scrutiny in some states.
Looking ahead, Wildtype aims to expand distribution from restaurants to retail outlets. The company currently operates a pilot facility in San Francisco and has raised over $120 million to scale its operations.
The approval and availability of lab-grown salmon represent a pivotal moment in sustainable seafood production. Consumers now have access to a product that offers the taste, nutrition, and culinary experience of traditional salmon while addressing critical environmental concerns such as overfishing, pollution, and contamination.
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