A San Francisco seafood company unveiled its lab-grown salmon, which recently secured FDA approval, in the Bay Area.

“Wildtype salmon will make its Bay Area debut on the Aug. 14 on the menu of the sushi restaurant, Robin, in San Francisco,” ABC7 San Francisco wrote.

“The team also has restaurant partners in several other cities, including Seattle and Portland, and is working to add more here in the Bay Area,” the outlet added.

The company says it offers “the world’s first cultivated seafood.”

Wildtype nabbed FDA approval in June, debuting its lab-grown salmon at a restaurant in Portland, Oregon.

ADVERTISEMENT

FDA Approves Lab-Grown Salmon

"Land ho! Wildtype is o-fish-ally on the menu. Our cultivated salmon is at @kannrestaurant in Portland with Chef @gg30000 Thursdays in June and every night starting in July. Book now and be among the first to try it!" the company wrote in June.

Now, Wildtype showcased the cultivated seafood at its headquarters in San Francisco.

Watch the footage:

Food Dive has more:

Wildtype is the fourth cultivated meat and seafood producer to receive FDA approval, representing an expansion of a nascent industry that’s faced fierce backlash from farming and agricultural interests.

Nebraska and Mississippi banned the sale of lab-grown meat earlier this year, joining Florida and Alabama which passed their own restrictions in 2024. Indiana also approved a two-year ban on cell-cultured meat, and a number of other states are considering similar restrictions, according to the Council of State Governments Midwestern Office.

While opponents of cultivated meat argue the industry poses a competitive threat to ranchers, Wildtype and other advocates say the technology is meant to complement traditional agricultural interests by helping meet demand for animal protein amid significant land and water constraints.

The U.S. was home to 36 cultivated meat companies in 2024, the most of any country, according to a report from the Good Food Institute. Lab-grown meat and fish still aren’t sold in U.S. retail stores, and the industry overall faces a series of challenges including difficulty scaling amid a dreary fundraising environment.

 

Wildtype's lab-grown salmon is also available at one restaurant in Austin, Texas.

CultureMap Austin wrote:

Austin once again finds itself paving the way for a new technology; this time not in a cowboy-hat wearing robot or self-driving car, but in food. Acclaimed omakase restaurant Otoko is now offering cultivated salmon by a company called Wildtype. It's a sushi-grade salmon lab-made — rather than farmed or caught in the sea — from genuine salmon cells.

This makes Otoko the first and only place in Texas to feature this delicious and eco-friendly new protein, but it'll only be around for a limited time.

ADVERTISEMENT

The Texas legislature recently passed a ban on lab-grown proteins, which prohibits the "manufacture, processing, possession, distribution, offering for sale, or sale of cell-cultured protein." The law goes into effect September 1 and sunsets in 2027.

"While Otoko is thrilled to explore such groundbreaking innovation, the restaurant is also committed to abiding by the recent changes in Texas legislation," the restaurant said in a statement by email. "Those interested in trying Wildtype are encouraged to visit before September 1."

 

Join The Conversation. Leave a Comment.