This shift will mitigate agriculture-related deforestation, biodiversity loss, antibiotic resistance, zoonotic disease outbreaks, and industrialized animal slaughter.

Over the next few decades, cultivated meat and other alternative proteins are predicted to take significant market share from the $1.7 trillion conventional meat and seafood industry. Additionally, commercial production is expected to occur entirely without antibiotics and is likely to result in fewer incidences of foodborne illnesses due to the lack of exposure risk from enteric pathogens. One study showed that cultivated meat, if produced using renewable energy, could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 92% and land use by up to 90% compared to conventional beef. Prospective life cycle assessments indicate that cultivated meat will use significantly fewer resources and can reduce agriculture-related pollution and eutrophication. What are the benefits of cultivated meat?īy nature of its more efficient production process, cultivated meat is expected to have a variety of benefits over conventional animal agriculture. Some companies are pursuing a similar strategy to create milk and other animal products. This process is expected to take between 2-8 weeks, depending on what kind of meat is being cultivated.

The differentiated cells are then harvested, prepared, and packaged into final products. Similar to what happens inside an animal’s body, the cells are fed an oxygen-rich cell culture medium made up of basic nutrients such as amino acids, glucose, vitamins, and inorganic salts, and supplemented with growth factors and other proteins.Ĭhanges in the medium composition, often in tandem with cues from a scaffolding structure, trigger immature cells to differentiate into the skeletal muscle, fat, and connective tissues that make up meat. These cells are then grown in bioreactors (known colloquially as cultivators) at high densities and volumes. The manufacturing process begins with acquiring and banking stem cells from an animal. Hundreds of companies and academic laboratories worldwide are conducting research across these disciplines to establish a new paradigm for manufacturing commodity meat products at industrial scales. Dozens more companies have formed to create technology solutions along the value chain.ĭecades of accumulated knowledge in cell culture, stem cell biology, tissue engineering, fermentation, and chemical and bioprocess engineering preceded the field of cultivated meat. The industry has since grown to more than 150 companies on 6 continents as of late 2022, backed by $2.6B in investments, each aiming to produce cultivated meat products. Two years later, the first four cultivated meat companies were founded. Cultivated meat is made of the same cell types that can be arranged in the same or similar structure as animal tissues, thus replicating the sensory and nutritional profiles of conventional meat.ĭutch scientist Mark Post unveiled the first cultivated meat burger on live television in 2013. This production method eliminates the need to raise and farm animals for food. Introduction to cultivated meat What is cultivated meat?Ĭultivated meat, also known as cultured meat, is genuine animal meat (including seafood and organ meats) that is produced by cultivating animal cells directly. University chapters: The Alt Protein Project.Advancing solutions for alternative proteins.A sustainable, secure, and prosperous path.American national competitiveness & the future of meat.Marketing & promoting plant-based dishes.

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