Cultivated meat, also known as cultured or cell-based meat, is real meat grown directly from animal cells, bypassing the need to raise and slaughter animals. This process yields a product molecularly identical to conventional meat, with the same taste and nutritional profile. Unlike plant-based alternatives, cultivated meat is derived from actual animal cells.
The Science Behind Cultivated Meat
Cultivated meat production begins with obtaining a small sample of animal cells, typically through a harmless biopsy from a living animal. These starter cells, such as skeletal muscle stem cells, are selected for their ability to grow and duplicate consistently. Once collected, these cells are placed into bioreactors, specialized vessels that provide a controlled environment for cell growth.
Inside the bioreactors, cells are nourished with a cell culture medium, an oxygen-rich liquid containing essential nutrients like amino acids, glucose, vitamins, and inorganic salts. This medium mimics biological processes within an animal, providing necessary components for cell life and growth. Scaffolding structures, made from materials like soy protein or gelatin, are sometimes used to guide cells as they proliferate and differentiate into muscle and fat tissues. The entire process, from cell acquisition to edible meat, can take approximately two to eight weeks, depending on the meat type.
Potential Impacts of Cultivated Meat
Cultivated meat offers several positive impacts, particularly for environmental sustainability. Traditional livestock farming significantly contributes to greenhouse gas emissions, land degradation, and water consumption. In contrast, cultivated meat production is estimated to require significantly less land and water. Studies suggest it could reduce land use by 64% to 90% and water consumption by 82% to 96% compared to conventional meat production.
Beyond environmental considerations, cultivated meat presents ethical advantages by eliminating the need for animal slaughter and reducing animal suffering associated with traditional farming. Health benefits also arise, as cultivated meat can be produced in a controlled environment. This may reduce the risk of bacterial contamination, such as E. coli, and the need for antibiotics commonly used in livestock. It also allows for controlling fat content in the final product.
Overcoming Obstacles for Cultivated Meat
Despite its promise, the cultivated meat industry faces challenges before widespread adoption. High production cost is a significant hurdle, with cell culture media alone accounting for an estimated 55% to 95% of total production costs. Companies are developing more affordable, serum-free growth media to reduce these expenses.
Scaling up production to meet commercial demand presents a complex engineering challenge. Current bioreactor technology and bioprocess design require further optimization to achieve the efficiency of large-scale conventional agriculture. Regulatory approval processes, overseen by agencies like the FDA and USDA in the United States, are rigorous and time-consuming, requiring extensive safety assessments. Finally, consumer acceptance remains an obstacle, as some consumers express skepticism regarding the “naturalness,” safety, or taste of lab-grown meat.
Cultivated Meat on the Horizon
The cultivated meat industry is progressing, with milestones achieved in recent years. Singapore became the first country to grant regulatory approval for the commercial sale of cultivated meat in December 2020, specifically for cultivated chicken products by Eat Just. Since then, Australia has also approved cultivated meat for sale. In June 2023, the United States followed suit, with the USDA granting approval to UPSIDE Foods and Good Meat for the sale of cultivated chicken.
Currently, cultivated meat products are primarily available in select high-end restaurants and through limited retail sales in approved markets. For example, Good Meat launched a frozen cultivated chicken product for retail in Singapore in early 2024. While the technology continues to advance, the industry focuses on reducing production costs and increasing scalability to make cultivated meat more widely accessible to consumers in the near future.