Sashimi from a lab? S’pore’s ImpacFat, a global pioneer in cultivated fish fat, launches in Japan

TOKYO – Sashimi that looks, feels and tastes just like the real deal, but is actually grown in a laboratory.

That is what a Singapore biotech start-up is aiming for, in its greater goal of addressing global food security challenges.

ImpacFat, launched in Japan on Oct 1, is the first company in the world to have successfully cultivated Omega-3-rich fish fat using stem cell technology.

The firm owns a global patent that extends across key markets including Singapore, Japan, China, Europe and the US.

Omega-3 fatty acids are vital “healthy fats” the human body cannot naturally produce, making dietary intake or supplements essential. They are scientifically proven to enhance brain function, support heart health, regulate blood pressure and improve vision.

ImpacFat co-founder Mandy Hon told The Straits Times on the sidelines of a media event that the company aims to revolutionise plant-based and lab-grown meat and seafood by enhancing their taste and texture, with “cell-cultured sashimi the direction we hope to work towards”.

“The issue with plant-based food today is taste – for example, chicken that does not taste like chicken – and we think fat is the missing ingredient,” she said.

But with stricter regulatory approvals and market barriers for food, the start-up is taking a “phased approach” by first focusing on cosmetics and skincare, she added.

ImpacFat’s cultivated fish fat – with touted benefits in promoting wound healing and skin rejuvenation – can be used in such products, with approval for use expected in Singapore and Japan by March 2026.

There is further potential in the premium pet nutrition market.

The company, which has roots in A*Star, Republic Polytechnic and the National University of Singapore, sees Japan as a key partner given its sophisticated market for seafood and health supplements.

Japanese consumers are highly aware of the benefits of marine-based nutrition, it said in a media release, while noting that the global Omega-3 ingredients market is projected to reach more than US$8 billion (S$10.3 billion) by 2030.

There are benefits to wildlife and the environment too, according to ImpacFat.

The company estimates that up to 3,000 marine lives could be saved per tonne of cultivated fish fat.

It also projects that its lab-based process can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 80 per cent compared with conventional fish oil production, which relies on heavy fuel consumption from fishing vessels and processing plants.

ImpacFat was founded in 2019, inspired by Singapore’s moonshot “

30 by 30

” target made in March that year to produce 30 per cent of its nutritional needs by 2030.

The Republic imports more than 90 per cent of its food.

Ms Hon worked with co-founder Shigeki Sugii, a stem cell biologist and principal investigator at A*Star who has, over 20 years, extensively published research on fat and stem cell applications, as well as their roles in health, ageing and metabolic diseases.

Japan, Dr Sugii’s birth country, likewise faces urgent food security challenges, with a

self-sufficiency rate of 38 per cent

.

Yet the country still lacks clear regulatory guidelines for lab-grown meat, creating a significant obstacle for companies that hope to develop and sell such products.

Despite this, Dr Sugii told ST that this was not a dealbreaker: “Japan has a long history in food technology – maybe not so much in novel foods like cultivated meat technologies – and while it is not ready yet as a market, it has an advantage in research and development.”

One such company with a long history in food innovation is Toyo Seikan, an industry leader in packaging and materials, that has invested an undisclosed sum in ImpacFat.

Toyo Seikan developed the world’s first “retort pouch” in 1968, a ready-to-eat food pouch containing curry that could be stored for a long time thanks to its pressurised sterilisation technology.

It is now investing heavily in food tech, having also made a prior investment in Singaporean cultivated meat start-up Umami Bioworks, which was formerly known as Shiok Meats.

“We hope that ImpacFat can leverage Japan’s accumulated know-how in food processing, distribution and biotechnology in its research and development, and further accelerate its product formulation and safety verification processes,” said Toyo Seikan president Takuji Nakamura.

ImpacFat, which has a headcount of 10 in Singapore, is looking to hire up to three employees in Japan, where it is based out of Takanawa Gateway City, a mixed-use development by East Japan Railway Company that includes a Link Scholars’ Hub laboratory for researchers to conduct experiments.

Dr Sugii said that ImpacFat’s research in Japan will complement that in Singapore, where it has benefited from the deep-tech research ecosystem and start-up support.

Branching out into Japan, he said, will further “joint research with partner companies to develop new methods that can reduce costs and scale up production”.