In the fast-paced world of food technology, August 2023 offered a moment of calm reflection for the cultivated meat sector. While the industry is often characterized by rapid advancements and headline-grabbing breakthroughs, this month provided an opportunity to take stock of the significant strides made thus far. It was a period that allowed stakeholders – from scientists and entrepreneurs to policymakers and investors – to pause and consider the transformative impact of cultivated meat on our global food system.
One cannot overlook the importance of published research in this period of calm. Academic studies serve as the backbone of the industry, offering credible insights into consumer behavior, technological advancements, and environmental impacts. One of the most groundbreaking studies came from a team led by Bar-Nur, which successfully reprogrammed connective tissue cells into muscle stem cells without the use of genetic engineering. This pioneering work could revolutionize the production of cultivated meat, offering a more efficient and potentially ethical method. Consumer perception of cultivated meat was another area that received scholarly attention. A study found that food technology neophobia, or the fear of new food technologies, has a strong impact on consumer acceptance of cultured meat. Despite this initial skepticism, the study noted that participants are still likely to embrace cultivated meat in the future. Another study found that while interest in alternative protein products like cultivated meat is growing, taste and price remain significant barriers. The research revealed that 42% of Americans showed interest in cell-based or lab-grown proteins, a notable increase since their 2021 survey, once they were provided with definitions of these products.
Investments in the sector are noteworthy. A significant portion of available capital has already been invested in cultivated meat companies, and this is expected to increase substantially in the near future. This financial backing is crucial for research and development, as well as for scaling production to meet future demands. Financial stability in the sector also seems promising. Concerns about companies running out of funds before the technology matures appear to be largely unfounded. Large meat corporations like Cargill, Tyson, and JBS are showing interest and involvement, providing a “safety net” for smaller startups in the field.
One of the most compelling stories comes from India, a country with a population of 1.4 billion and a growing appetite for meat. A report from 2022 revealed that only a small percentage of the population adheres to a vegetarian diet. Cultivated meat is being eyed as a viable solution to meet this surging demand. The technology could offer a sustainable and ethical alternative to traditional meat production, which often comes with environmental and ethical concerns.
In the United States, the cultivated meat industry reached a milestone when the USDA approved its sale. This approval has opened doors for the product to be featured in select restaurants and soon, grocery stores. The development is particularly significant given the projections that global meat consumption will double by 2050, putting immense pressure on limited resources.
Across the Atlantic, Europe is also making its mark. Alex Mayers, the newly appointed managing director of the Good Food Institute Europe, emphasized that cultivated meat was born in Europe and is home to some of the world’s leading scientists and startups. His career, which includes work on climate change impacts, adds another layer of expertise to the sector.
In terms of market expansion, Asia is a region to watch. With meat and seafood consumption expected to grow by 78% by 2050, alternative proteins, including cultivated meat, are gaining traction. Companies are tailoring products to meet regional tastes and preferences, further broadening the market.
See you next month for the news!
News
Opinion: Can Lab-Grown Meat Satisfy India’s Growing Food Needs? August 26, 2023
In 2022 a report from India indicated that among a population of 1.4 billion, only 16.6 percent of men and 29.4 percent of women between the ages 15 and 49 exclusively followed a vegetarian diet. To meet the surging demand, cultured meat is expected to offer a viable solution that … Read more
SXSW : Protein Reimagined: Real Meat without the Animal August 21, 2023
Cultivated meat grown directly from cells is now in select restaurants and will soon be available in grocery stores. In 2023, the USDA approved its sale, marking a historic moment for the industry and the planet. Limited resources and a growing population that will double its meat consumption by 2050 … Read more
🎥 Dr. Mark Post looks back on 10 years in cultivated meat: ‘The ridiculous prices we had in the beginning have come down tremendously…’ August 14, 2023
Are you concerned that companies are going to run out of money before this technology has a chance to prove itself? “Not really, and the reason why I’m not concerned is because we see a lot of involvement of large meat companies like Cargill and Tyson and JBS. When small … Read more
GFI Europe: “Cultivated Meat Was Born in Europe, and We Are Home to Some of the World’s Leading Scientists & Startups” August 10, 2023
Alex Mayers is the newly appointed managing director of the Good Food Institute Europe, having stepped up into the role last month after three years as head of operations. Alex’s career includes experience working with communities in different parts of the world that are highly impacted by climate change, for … Read more
Conventional meat production has become a force of environmental damage, but global meat consumption is predicted to continue increasing. Therefore, the technology of cultivated meat is undergoing rapid development. The current study explores what factors explain U.S. consumers’ intention to purchase cultivated meat as a sustainable substitute for conventional meat … Read more
Council Post: Lessons In Resilience From The Alternative Proteins Industry August 8, 2023
There may be little consensus about how alternative proteins will impact global food systems. One thing is certain, though: This industry isn’t going away. We may be years from flipping cultivated burgers on the BBQ, but our local markets are stocked with vegan meat, our coffee shops offer plant-based lattes, … Read more
Compagnies and key players
South African cell-based meat company rebrands as Newform Foods August 23, 2023
Cape Town-based cell-based meat start-up Mzansi Meat has rebranded to Newform Foods. The company was launched in 2020 with the aim to cultivate products specifically tailored to traditional African dishes and cooking methods. Source: South African cell-based meat company rebrands as Newform Foods | The Cell Base
Upside Foods CEO on the future of cell-cultivated meats August 22, 2023
Upside Foods is one of three companies to gain regulatory approval to produce and sell lab-grown chicken in the United States. On Tuesday, Aug. 15 at 11:00 a.m. ET, Uma Valeti, founder and CEO of Upside Foods, joins The Post’s Shannon Osaka to discuss the viability of lab-grown meats, the … Read more
China’s CellX pilots lab-grown meat production, eyes U.S. market August 15, 2023
“Our costs are at around $100 per pound, but by the time we commercially launch in two or three years, the price could go down 10 times,” CellX CEO Ziliang Yang said. The firm opened a pilot facility in Shanghai this week that Yang said can produce ‘a couple of … Read more
UK’s first cultivated meat approval submitted August 13, 2023
Fresh on the heels of its announcement it has submitted an application to Swiss regulators to sell cultivated beef in the country, marking the first-ever application to sell cultivated meat in Europe, Israeli cultivated meat company Aleph farms has now revealed it has submitted a dossier to the UK’s Food … Read more
Market
Investments’ changing alt-meat targets August 16, 2023
Cultivated meat companies have mostly bounced around about 25% of funds invested in the sector, a healthy portion of the available capital considering the product has only just been approved for sale to consumers. Expect that percentage, however, to skyrocket in the near future. Source: Investments’ changing alt-meat targets | … Read more
Food Frontier Report: Opportunities Abound as Asia’s Alternative Protein Market Grows August 11, 2023
With meat and seafood consumption in Asia slated for 78% growth by 2050, according to a 2018 report from Asia Research & Engagement, regional consumers are increasingly turning to meat substitutes: data from Statista projects that the Asian alternative protein market will reach USD13.63 billion by 2027 from a current … Read more
Research
Scientists reprogram connective tissue cells into muscle stem cells without genetic engineering August 27, 2023
Finally, Bar-Nur and his team would like to incorporate their new findings into their ongoing work with cow cells—another research stream of the lab. They hope this method would assist current efforts to culture animal muscle stem cells for cultivated meat production, an alternative method to produce meat for consumption. … Read more
Are You Sceptical About Cultivated Meat? A New Study Explains The Reason Why August 24, 2023
The research found that food technology neophobia strongly impacts consumer acceptance of cultured meat. It has negative effects on their behavioural intentions – but even then, participants indicated they are likely to embrace cultivated meat. Source: Are You Sceptical About Cultivated Meat? A New Study Explains The Reason Why – … Read more
Conventional meat production has become a force of environmental damage, but global meat consumption is predicted to continue increasing. Therefore, the technology of cultivated meat is undergoing rapid development. The current study explores what factors explain U.S. consumers’ intention to purchase cultivated meat as a sustainable substitute for conventional meat … Read more
Cultured Meat and Farmers August 2, 2023
In a two-year study, a team led by the RAU is asking what farmers think of cultured meat, then modelling how real farm businesses might fare if it becomes part of our diets. Will cultured meat impact UK farmers? Tackling and adapting to climate change will change the way we … Read more
Interest in Alternative Protein Products Is Growing, but Taste and Price Are Its Biggest Barriers August 1, 2023
Many Americans said they’ve never heard of newer alternative proteins, including mycoprotein (71%); cell-cultured (60%), cell-based (55%), and cultivated (48%) meat; and fermented protein (59%). But once they were provided with definitions for these products, IFIC found that interest in cell-based/lab-grown protein had grown to 42% since their 2021 survey … Read more
Other alternatives to meat
Making Food with Microbes: Precision Fermentation Market to Reach $34.9 billion by 2031 August 25, 2023
The global precision fermentation market size was valued at $1.3 billion in 2021 and is estimated to reach $34.9 billion by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 40.5% from 2022 to 2031, according to Valuates Reports.Also known as microbial fermentation, this tech uses genetically modified microbes (bacteria, yeast, algae, or … Read more
Saudi officials ink deals to develop plant-based food alternatives August 12, 2023
Officials from the Saudi Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture recently signed two agreements to transform agricultural plant products into plant-based foods with animal protein flavor. A ministry research center focused on advancing agricultural product development will also be established, the Saudi Press Agency reported. Source: Saudi officials ink deals … Read more
Molecular farming: IngredientWerks grows heme protein in corn at ‘unprecedented low cost’ August 4, 2023
Spun off from biotech firm AgriVida last year, Woburn, Massachusetts-based IngredientWerks has filed patents covering the expression of myoglobin, leghemoglobin, and casein in genetically engineered corn crops. It announced seed funding from Open Prairie and ARCH Venture Partners in February and is currently raising a series A round. Motif is a … Read more
Gelatin Substitute Made From Peas Emerges From University of Alberta August 3, 2023
The Univeristy of Alberta team says the discovery occurred by accident during an experiment when the team realized that certain conditions, like changes in pH, resulted in creating the gelatin. The team says it boasts industrial applications that mimic conventional gelatin, which is made from animal cartilage and bones. Source: … Read more