The past two years marked a significant turning point for the cultivated meat sector, following approvals for the marketing and sale of various products derived from cell cultures. The market for cultivated meat is currently more prominent in countries such as the US, Singapore, and Israel. Singapore was the first country to allow the sale of cultivated chicken meat in 2020, followed by the US in 2023. In 2024, Israel approved the sale of the first cultivated steak, while in the United Kingdom, cultivated meat was authorised for use in pet food, making it the first European country to introduce this type of product.
Industry growth and investment
According to the “2023 State of the Industry Report – Cultivated Meat and Seafood” published by the Good Food Institute, in the year in question, companies specialising in cultivated meat and seafood products reaped in 225.9 million USD globally, bringing total investments in the sector since 2013 to 3.1 billion USD. There are now over 170 companies operating in this field and are mostly present in the US, Canada, Israel, the UK, and Singapore. Highlighting the potential of cultivated meat, many leading companies in the food sector, including JBS, Tyson, Cargill, Nestlé, and Danone, are investing in this technology, often alongside other innovations such as plant-based proteins and ingredients obtained from fermentation.
Pros, cons and consumer acceptance
Cultivated meat offers significant benefits: it reduces the environmental impact associated with intensive animal farming, it consumes fewer natural resources, and contributes to animal well-being. It also allows the product to be tailored to specific requirements, for example by lowering saturated fat content to provide healthier choices.
The production process starts with the extraction of animal stem cells, which are cultured in bioreactors that supply essential nutrients for the growth and development of muscle tissue. However, experiments are still underway to improve the efficiency of cell lines and growth factors, which are among the main production costs. On an industrial scale, capacity is currently limited and will need to expand in tandem with regulatory approvals in new geographic regions.
A further barrier is consumer acceptance: the lack of familiarity with these products breeds scepticism. According to the study entitled “Toward consumer acceptance of cultured meat”, transparency will be crucial to gain the public’s trust, through rigorous certifications and proven safety tests. Research has shown, however, that the interest of consumers for cultivated meat is likely driven by factors such as health, curiosity, environmental benefits, and guilt-free indulgence, according to the report of the Good Food Institute.
Who’s leading the sector
The cultivated meat sector began to establish itself in 2013, when Mosa Meat produced the first cultured meat hamburger using bovine cells. Since then, many other companies have made significant progress, including Meatable, a Dutch startup that specialises in products such as cultivated sausages and attracted 35 million USD in financial backing in 2023. UPSIDE Foods and GOOD Meat produce cultivated chicken meat, which is sold respectively in restaurants in the US and in one supermarket chain in Singapore. Aleph Farms in Israel, on the other hand, is renowned for developing the first cultivated steak, showing the innovative potential of this technology.
In spite of the challenges, the cultivated meat sector is gaining recognition as one of the most promising solutions for a sustainable, ethical future when it comes to food. With the increase in production capacity, geographic expansion as well as with the evolution of consumer perceptions, this technology seems set to revolutionise the way we produce and consume meat.