Reinventing the eel: first lab-grown eel meat revealed

Wild freshwater eels are at risk of extinction due to overfishing but their meat can now be cultivated from cells

The first lab-grown freshwater eel meat has been produced, potentially solving a diner's dilemma. Rampant overfishing has caused eel populations to plummet and prices to soar, but the cultivated eel could provide the delicacy guilt-free.

The eel meat was produced by Forsea Foods in Israel from embryonic cells of a freshwater eel. The company collaborated with a Japanese chef to create unagi kabayaki, marinated grilled eel over rice, and unagi nigiri, a type of sushi.

This article was corrected on 22 January 2024. A previous version said the eel meat was produced from embryonic cells of the Japanese unagi eel: in fact they were from a freshwater eel.