Forsea unveils the world’s first cultured eel in Japan
JAPAN – Israel-based seafood company Forsea has introduced what it claims to be the world’s first cell-cultured eel, known as Unagi, in Japan, a country where eel is a significant part of the cuisine.
The announcement comes a few months after reports in November 2025 indicated that Forsea was advancing efforts to make cultivated eel a commercially viable product.
The company had recently reached a new milestone by achieving the highest recorded cell density in the field of cultured seafood, a development that could influence the industry’s future.
Forsea attributes this progress to its organoid technology, a patented platform that allows cells to grow and develop into tissues without external manipulation.
Unlike conventional cell-culturing methods that require directing stem cells toward specific tissues, Forsea’s technology enables cells to self-assemble into three-dimensional structures, forming muscle, fat, and connective tissue on their own.
This approach reduces production costs since it does not depend on expensive growth factors, which are typically used in cultivated seafood production.
Founder and CEO Roee Nir described the breakthrough as an important step in the company’s mission to produce sustainable and accessible seafood products.
He also noted that success with eel cultivation creates opportunities to expand into other seafood products while supporting sustainable supply chains for ecologically vulnerable species.
Chief Technology Officer Morio Shimoni said the increase in cell density highlights the potential of the company’s organoid technology and its role in advancing the cultured seafood sector.
Forsea aims to secure a share of the global eel market, which was valued at around US$4.3 billion in 2023 and is projected to grow at an annual rate of 2.19%, reaching nearly US$4.9 billion by 2031.
Japan accounts for 70% of global eel consumption, though demand is also rising in China and South Korea.
The development of cell-cultured seafood is part of a larger trend in the food industry, where companies are exploring alternatives to traditional meat production to address sustainability concerns.
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