Lab-Grown Seafood Could Offer Hope for Allergy Sufferers

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): New research from James Cook University suggests that lab-grown seafood, such as cultivated Japanese eel, could help people with seafood allergies safely enjoy seafood. The team, led by Professor Andreas L. Lopata, found that lab-grown eel contained up to 1000 times less of the main fish allergen, parvalbumin, compared to regular eel, with no genetic modification. They also tested the eel on children with fish allergies, showing little to no reactions. This could benefit the 1% of the population with seafood allergies. However, lab-grown products still need approval for sale, with some regions banning them due to environmental concerns. While the US, Singapore, and the UK have approved it, Italy, Florida, and Alabama have banned it. The findings were presented at the World Allergy Congress 2025 and published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.