Nils-Gerrit Wunsch
Research expert covering foods trends in North America, Europe, and the global food system
Cultivated meat - statistics & facts
At the end of 2020, Singapore was the first country to ever approve a cultivated meat product (also called cultured meat). Luxury restaurant 1880 offered its customers an opportunity to try out the first ever lab-grown chicken in a series of three dishes for 23 U.S. dollars. The meat was supplied by the American start-up Eat Just. For comparison, the first cultured meat product ever made, a beef burger patty presented in 2013 by the Dutch start-up Mosa Meat, had a price tag of around 330,000 U.S. dollars. By now, over 150 companies are trying to capitalize on the emerging cultured meat market.
This market is starting to open up, with regulatory approval given in mid-2023 by the FDA in the U.S. for two companies to sell cultured chicken. Israel is pushing the envelope in a different direction. The country has given the first regulatory approval for the sale of lab-grown beef in January 2024. With regulatory hurdles out of the way, the next steps for the industry are to bring out mass-produced products and to convince the consumer to dig in.
Looking at the entire age range of consumers, interest is distributed in a more measured way. In the United Kingdom among the entire population, ten percent would definitely eat cultivated meat products. Another 28 percent would probably eat such a product.
But why is meat production in this way even desirable? Cultured meat promises a wide variety of benefits. It is expected to produce fewer greenhouse gas emissions due to the fact that it will cut animal methane emissions. The reduction is expected to account for 92% of regular beef’s carbon emissions. Cultivated meat notably reduces the need for antibiotics due to being grown in sterile conditions. Furthermore, the slaughter-free production of meat via cell cultures has the potential to increase animal welfare significantly. Drastic reductions in land and water use are also expected. However, all these benefits have barely begun to materialize, and it is uncertain to which degree the promises of cultured meat will be fulfilled. The industry is still working on price, correct texture quality, consumer acceptance, and the industrial capabilities for large-scale production. If the environmental prospects should hold true, it would be a significant lure for consumers.
Consumer awareness and openness
The task may be easiest among young consumers. Germans between the age of 18 and 24 are overwhelmingly ready to buy cultured meat products when they become available. Over 80 percent are ready to add these products to their shopping carts. Other European markets might be significantly more resistant to the idea. While Spanish and Italian consumers are not far behind their German counterparts, French consumers are noticeably hesitant. Even among young consumers, less than half are open to buying cultured meat.Looking at the entire age range of consumers, interest is distributed in a more measured way. In the United Kingdom among the entire population, ten percent would definitely eat cultivated meat products. Another 28 percent would probably eat such a product.
The possibilities of cultured meat
Cultured or cultivated meat is meat grown in a laboratory or, on an industrial scale, in a bioreactor. Firstly, stem cells are extracted from an animal. In the next step, nutrient-rich solutions and cell lines are put into bioreactors. Here, the meat grows before edible scaffolding is used to encourage meat growth into desired patterns.But why is meat production in this way even desirable? Cultured meat promises a wide variety of benefits. It is expected to produce fewer greenhouse gas emissions due to the fact that it will cut animal methane emissions. The reduction is expected to account for 92% of regular beef’s carbon emissions. Cultivated meat notably reduces the need for antibiotics due to being grown in sterile conditions. Furthermore, the slaughter-free production of meat via cell cultures has the potential to increase animal welfare significantly. Drastic reductions in land and water use are also expected. However, all these benefits have barely begun to materialize, and it is uncertain to which degree the promises of cultured meat will be fulfilled. The industry is still working on price, correct texture quality, consumer acceptance, and the industrial capabilities for large-scale production. If the environmental prospects should hold true, it would be a significant lure for consumers.
