Jeff Bezos–backed startup Wildtype recently received FDA clearance to sell its lab-grown salmon after the FDA, which did not require independent third-party testing or animal trials, concluded the product is safe for human consumption based on the company’s safety data.
The FDA approved Wildtype’s lab-grown salmon on May 28, 2025, marking the first cultivated seafood to receive such clearance in the U.S. The San Francisco-based company’s sushi-grade coho salmon, produced by growing Pacific salmon cells in bioreactors and combining them with plant-based ingredients, is deemed “as safe as comparable foods” by the FDA after a rigorous pre-market safety consultation.
It’s currently served at Kann, a Haitian restaurant in Portland, Oregon, with plans to expand to four more restaurants in Oregon, California, Washington, and Texas by September 2025. Wildtype aims to address sustainability and overfishing concerns, though the industry faces challenges, including bans in states like Florida, Alabama, Nebraska, Mississippi, and Indiana.
Critics question the FDA’s reliance on Wildtype’s own safety data without independent testing, raising concerns about residual growth factors like FGF2 potentially promoting cancer-like cells. Supporters argue it’s a step toward sustainable protein sources, with no heavy metals or parasites found in traditional fish.