More than a third of Japanese consumers are interested in trying cultivated eel, as stocks of the fish species dwindle amid overfishing and pollution.
Japan may be the world’s largest market for freshwater eel, but it recognises that the species’s future is under threat – and it’s willing to give future-friendly versions of the national delicacy a go.
More than a third (35%) of Japanese consumers say they are familiar with cultivated unagi, an innovation derived from fish cells via cellular agriculture, and willing to try it. A quarter are eager to taste the novel food regardless of how much it costs them too, though the rest set limits on how much they’re willing to shell out.
These findings are the results of a 2,000-person survey conducted by Forsea Foods, an Israeli startup that has developed the “world’s first” cell-cultured eel and is targeting the Japanese market first.
“We have already established meaningful relationships in the market with investors, food companies, restaurants and chefs and we are constantly looking to expand our relationships in the country,” co-founder and CEO Roee Nir tells Green Queen. “Our first products will be launched in late 2026 or early 2027.”
Increasing awareness can bring dividends
In a separate survey in August, 23% of Japanese consumers said they loved eel, but didn’t purchase it because of its high price tag, while over a third were concerned about the impact of overfishing, which has rendered freshwater eel a critically endangered species.
Still, Japan accounts for 50-70% of the global market for the fish, which is often served in a sweet soy-based glaze as kabayaki. It’s a delicacy in the county – more than half of the respondents above said they consume eel at least once a year, and 10% do so regularly. And despite the high markups – wholesale prices range from $40-60 per kg in Japan – one in two consumers are happy to pay the premium if it’s a high-quality product.
“Consumers are willing to pay over $120 per kg for premium eel,” says Nir. “Our eel will be priced in line with these market prices.”
Japan’s interest in cultivated meat stems from several factors: nearly a third of respondents to the new poll believe it’s a highly nutritious and safer option, thanks to the absence of heavy metals and contaminants. One in three are drawn to the sustainability aspect, while a quarter are intrigued by the technology.
Meanwhile, taste and price together are key considerations for two-thirds of the survey participants. And two in five feel cultivated seafood could potentially solve the problem of overfishing.
“Many were concerned about the environmental and ecological impact of overfishing of freshwater eel,” reveals Nir. “Many others were intrigued by the innovation and wanted to experience something new.”
The results chime with findings from a similar poll conducted by the Cellular Agriculture Institute of the Commons (CAIC) in 2022, where 39% of consumers expressed familiarity with cultivated meat. Similarly, a 2023 survey found that over two in five Japanese respondents are willing to try these cultivated meat and seafood products, especially if they’re priced the same or cheaper.
“Awareness of cultivated meat products in Japan is growing. The fact we are targeting such an important cuisine in Japanese culture really increases the buzz around cultured fish and seafood,” says Nir.
This is crucial, since greater knowledge about cultivated meat is correlated with a higher willingness to try it, according to the CAIC poll. “In the following months and years, Forsea plans to invest in increasing consumer exposure to cultivated fish and seafood and in consumer education,” the CEO adds.
Forsea Foods eyes tasting events in Japan
Poaching, illegal trading, breeding troubles and pollution have decimated supplies of freshwater eel, with consumption declining by 63% between 2000 and 2021 in Japan. And overfishing doesn’t just disrupt eel populations, but also the marine and freshwater ecosystems they inhabit.
Forsea Foods makes its cultured version using proprietary organoid technology, which involves creating the ideal environment for cells to assemble into 3D microtissue structures comprising fat, muscle and connective tissues.
These mimic organ functions and structures, and spontaneously differentiate into edible cells, replacing the natural growth process of tissues in a living animal. The process also bypasses the scaffolding stage (where cells are grown on 3D scaffolds to create structured proteins) and significantly lowers reliance on growth factors, helping the startup produce cultivated meat in a cost-effective manner.
Last year, it showcased the cultivated eel at Saido, a vegan restaurant in Tokyo, and held an intimate tasting event at A, a Japanese restaurant in Tel Aviv. Months later, the firm achieved a cell density – which informs how well cells proliferate and differentiate – of over 300 cells per ml, and with minimal use of culture media (responsible for the bulk of the costs of cultivated meat and seafood).
This cell density is the highest in the industry, according to Forsea Foods, and represents a breakthrough in its efforts to reach commercial scale and lower prices. “Achieving this level of cell density with minimal resources will translate to substantial reductions in the unit of economics and will bring cultured seafood production to a cost that is actually below the traditional market price,” Nir told Green Queen in November.
“Our cultured eel has received a lot of positive traction in the global food scene, particularly among Japanese food manufacturers,” he now adds. “We are participating in local conferences and events. We will be looking to have sensory evaluations and also tasting events once the regulatory bodies approve such events in Japan.”
Speaking of which, Forsea Foods has previously indicated that it was preparing to file dossiers for regulatory approval in Japan. Kimiko Hong-Mitsui, interim director of alternative protein think tank the Good Food Institute (GFI) Japan, told Green Queen in October: “Officials are making steady progress in developing a novel food regulatory framework.”
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