The concept of cultured meat or cultivated meat also known as lab-grown or cell-based meat has moved from science fiction to a burgeoning industry with the potential to transform how we produce and consume protein. Cultivated meat, or cultured meat, is real animal meat—encompassing seafood and organ meats, that’s produced by growing animal cells directly. This approach eliminates the necessity of raising and farming animals for food. Cultivated meat consists of the same types of cells as traditional meat, arranged in similar structures, thereby mirroring the sensory and nutritional characteristics of conventional meat.

In 2013, the first cultivated meat burger was introduced on live television by Dutch scientist Mark Post and by 2015, the first four cultivated meat companies were established. The industry has since then expanded to over 150 companies across six continents. These companies are pioneering the future of meat, making it more sustainable, ethical, and innovative. Here’s a look at ten leading companies making waves in the cultured meat industry.

1.BioFood Systems Ltd.

BioFood Systems Ltd. stands out for its commitment to creating high-quality cultured meat that replicates the taste and texture of traditional meat. The company was founded by Arturo Geifman and Yohai ben Zikri with the goal of developing a sustainable and appealing plant-based meat alternative. Their aim is to entice meat eaters to choose this option, leading to reduced meat consumption, decreased beef production, and a significant positive impact on the ecosystem over time.

2. Shiok Meats Pte Ltd.

Based in Singapore, Shiok Meats specializes in cultured seafood. As one of the first companies to focus on this niche, they are making significant strides in producing lab-grown shrimp and crab. Their goal is to address the overfishing crisis and provide a sustainable seafood option that preserves marine biodiversity.

3. Supermeat - The Essence of Meat Ltd.

Israeli company Supermeat is dedicated to redefining meat production with its unique approach. Their technology aims to produce chicken meat directly from animal cells without the need for raising livestock. Supermeat is committed to transparency, with plans to establish a “meat the future” restaurant where customers can taste their lab-grown products firsthand.

4. Meatable B.V.

Netherlands-based Meatable B.V. is making headlines with its innovative approach to cultured meat. They use a combination of stem cell technology and bioreactor cultivation to produce high-quality beef and pork. Meatable’s goal is to deliver meat products that are not only sustainable but also indistinguishable from conventionally produced meat. The company focuses on saving trees and water and avoids slaughtering of animals.

5. Mosa Meat B.V.

Mosa Meat, another leading Dutch company, was founded by Dr. Mark Post, who famously created the world’s first lab-grown hamburger. Their focus is on producing beef patties with the same taste and texture as traditional meat but with a significantly reduced environmental footprint. Mosa Meat is working towards scaling up production to meet growing consumer demand.

A key focus for Mosa Meat has been reducing the production costs of cultured meat to make it more affordable and accessible to consumers. In March 2023, the company announced it had signed a Letter of Intent with its investor Nutreco—a global leader in animal nutrition and aqua feed—to establish a cell feed supply chain. This partnership aims to lower costs by utilizing food-grade ingredients, rather than pharmaceutical-grade ones, in basal media (cell feed).

6. Multus Biotechnology

Founded in 2019 by four students from the Life Sciences and Bioengineering departments at Imperial College London, Multus Biotechnology is a cultured meat company focused on developing high-performance, cost-effective growth media for cell cultivation. The company leverages data science and automation to evaluate its library of growth media ingredients.

Multus Biotechnology aims to address the technical challenges of scaling cultured meat production and achieving price parity with conventional farmed products. By discovering novel ingredients, the company seeks to create a sustainable and scalable supply chain using production methods that are already widely adopted.

The company’s next-generation growth media ingredients and formulations are foundational to cellular agriculture, enabling the production of animal products from cells rather than from animals. Multus Biotechnology’s team of scientists and engineers is committed to overcoming the limitations of traditional animal farming to ensure a more sustainable future.

7. BioBetter Ltd.

BioBetter Ltd. is a cultivated meat company focused on addressing the high costs and limited availability of growth factors essential for cell proliferation. Their vision includes leveraging green technology to provide sustainable food solutions, reduce animal cruelty, and make a positive environmental impact.

BioBetter employs an innovative approach by utilizing tobacco plants as bioreactors to produce sustainable, animal-free growth factors. They have also developed a purification technique that enhances cost-efficiency and supports scalable protein production. This botanical-based process positions the company to accelerate its commercialization efforts effectively.

8. Upside Foods, Inc.

Previously known as Memphis Meats, Upside Foods is a pioneer in the US cultured meat industry. Their focus is on creating high-quality beef, chicken, and duck products using cell-based technology. Upside Foods has garnered significant investment and attention for its innovative approach and is well-positioned to become a major player in the market.

In 2017, the company developed the world’s first lab-grown beef meatball and also produced the first cultivated chicken and duck meat. By 2021, it had opened a cultivated meat production facility in the US called EPIC, which features custom-designed, patented cultivators capable of producing over 50,000 pounds of cultured meat.

9. Eat Just Inc. (GOOD Meat)

Eat Just widely known for its plant-based egg product, has also made significant strides in the cultured meat sector with its GOOD Meat brand. Based in the US, Eat Just is working on expanding its cultured meat offerings, including chicken, to markets around the world. Their commitment to both plant-based and cultured meat solutions underscores their dedication to sustainable food innovation. In 2020, it became the first cultured meat company to receive regulatory approval for the sale of its lab-grown chicken in Singapore.

Recently, GOOD Meat received a 'no questions' letter from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), confirming that the company’s cultivated chicken is deemed safe to eat and bringing it closer to commercialization in the U.S.

In 2022, GOOD Meat signed a seven-year agreement with bioprocess equipment specialist ABEC to design, manufacture, install, and commission the largest known bioreactors for producing avian and mammalian cell-based meat. In January 2023, the company revealed plans to install a 6,000-liter bioreactor at its new facility in Singapore, which is set to open this year.

10. Believer Meats

Believer Meats, formerly known as Future Meat, is dedicated to ensuring that future generations can enjoy meat without harming animals or the environment. Utilizing non-GMO technology, the company claims to achieve more dense cell cultures and greater media efficiency than other cultured meat startups. Believer Meats is developing a variety of cell-based products, including hamburgers, chicken breasts, and kebab meat.

How is Cultivated Meat Produced?

The process starts by collecting and storing stem cells from an animal. These cells are then cultivated in bioreactors, also known as cultivators, at high densities and volumes. The cells are provided with an oxygen-rich culture medium containing essential nutrients such as amino acids, glucose, vitamins, and inorganic salts, along with growth factors and other proteins.

Adjustments in the medium's composition, often combined with cues from a scaffolding structure, induce the immature cells to develop into the skeletal muscle, fat, and connective tissues found in meat. Once the cells have differentiated, they are harvested, prepared, and packaged into the final product. This cultivation typically takes between 2 to 8 weeks, depending on the type of meat being produced. Some companies are also using similar techniques to develop other animal products and milk.

Benefits of Cultured Meat

1.Better for Animals

This advantage is both clear and compelling. The production of cultivated meat does not harm animals. Stem cells are extracted only once from a donor animal and can produce cultivated meat indefinitely. This process eliminates the need for the numerous harmful practices associated with traditional farming, including slaughter.

2. Land Conservation

Livestock meat production uses approximately 70% of global arable land for growing feed. By cultivating animal cells, meat can be produced without raising farmed animals, which requires significantly fewer agricultural resources, such as land. This method could reduce land use for meat production by up to 99%.

3. Reduction in Water Usage

Producing 1 kg of beef requires 15,415 liters of fresh water. In contrast, cultivated meat can cut water usage by 82%-96%, depending on the product. Agriculture currently accounts for 92% of our water usage, making the reduced water footprint of cultivated meat a significant advantage.

4. Enhances Food Accessibility

With a global population exceeding 7 billion and projected to surpass 9.5 billion by 2050, the demand for food will increase significantly. Current natural resources such as land, water, and livestock are finite. Studies indicate that raising enough animals to meet future food needs may become unfeasible. Cultivated meat requires only a fraction of the resources used in conventional meat production and doesn’t involve raising or slaughtering animals, as cells can grow indefinitely. This could help improve food accessibility and potentially reduce global hunger.

5. Meet the Increasing Demand for Meat

The global demand for meat is rising and shows no sign of slowing down. Meat consumption has doubled in the past two decades, and it is expected to increase by 13% before the end of this decade. With growing demand, conventional supply chains face increased pressure. Cultivated meat offers an alternative that can help meet this demand while using significantly fewer natural resources, alleviating pressure on traditional supply chains.

According to TechSci Research report “Cultured Meat Market – Global Industry Size, Share, Trends, Opportunity, and Forecast, Segmented By Source (Poultry, Beef, Seafood, Pork, Duck), By End-Use (Nuggets, Burgers, Meatballs, Sausages, Hot Dogs), By Distribution Channel (Direct-to-consumer, Foodservice, and Retail), By Region & Competition, 2019-2029F,” Global Cultured Meat Market was valued at USD 222.5 million in 2023 and is expected to reach USD 590.1 million by 2029 with a CAGR of 17.7% during the forecast period. The market growth is driven by various factors such as increasing demand for alternative protein sources, rising health concerns and preference for safer meat options, etc.

Factors Driving the Growth of Global Cultured Meat Market:

·        The Increasing Demand for Alternative Protein Sources

There has been an increase in demand for alternative protein sources, such as cell-based proteins or culture meat. This is obtained by reproducing animal cells in a laboratory environment and are also considered among the new alternatives. These are mainly developed for direct human nutrition and also, they are used as pet food.

·        The Rising Health Concerns

There has been rising focus on health and food safety, which is leading to increased interest in cultured meat. Cultured meat eliminates health risks associated with traditional meat, such as antibiotic residues, disease transmission and hormone use. Moreover, the controlled production environment eliminates the risk of contamination and ensures a safer and cleaner product. The appeal of cultured meat continues to grow with consumers becoming more health conscious.

·        Technological Advancements

The development and commercialization of cultured meat has grown with innovations in cell cultivation technologies and bioprocessing. Improvements in cell culture techniques, scaffolding materials, and bioreactor designs improves the scalability of cultured meat production. These advancements in technology help in reducing production costs and improve product quality, thereby driving the growth of the market.

·        Animal Welfare

Issues such as animal cruelty have raised ethical concerns about animal welfare and factory farming practices. Cultured meat provides a way to produce meat without harming animals or engaging in in humane practices. This ethical advantage resonates with consumers who are concerned about animal welfare and rights, thereby driving the demand for cultured meat products.

·         Rising Consumption of Meat

Global meat consumption is on the rise, driven by growing population and income, particularly in developing countries. As traditional meat production struggles to keep pace with this growing demand, cultured meat offers a scalable solution. It allows for production of meat without the need for additional livestock, thereby meeting the demand from consumers and taking care of the supply challenges.

·         Investment

The cultured meat sector has attracted significant investment from venture capitalists, private equity firms, and government grants. Increased funding supports research and development, accelerates the commercialization process, and enhances production capabilities. As financial backing continues to grow, the cultured meat market is expected to expand further.

·         Regulatory Support

The market growth is also driven by regulatory approvals and developments. The governments and regulatory agencies are starting to establish frameworks for the commercialization and approval of cultured meat, that helps build consumer confidence and facilitates market entry. Successful regulatory approvals in key markets boost industry credibility and stimulate growth.

·        Consumer Awareness and Acceptance

As consumer awareness about the benefits of cultured meat increases, so does acceptance. Educational campaigns and media coverage are helping to familiarize consumers with cultured meat and its advantages over conventional meat. Increased awareness leads to higher demand, as consumers are more willing to try and adopt new food technologies.

·        Economic Efficiency

As cultured meat production technologies mature, economies of scale are expected to reduce production costs. Lower production costs make cultured meat more competitive with traditional meat products, making it more accessible to a broader consumer base. Economic efficiency drives market adoption and growth.

Overall, these factors collectively drive the growth of the global cultured meat market, transforming the food industry and offering sustainable solutions to meet the world's growing meat consumption needs.

The Future of Cultured Meat

These ten companies represent the forefront of a food revolution aimed at creating a more sustainable and ethical meat industry. As technology advances and consumer acceptance grows, cultured meat has the potential to transform global food systems, reduce environmental impact, and offer new culinary experiences. Keep an eye on these innovators as they pave the way for a future where lab-grown meat is as commonplace as traditional meat. In the years to come, we’ll likely see these companies lead the charge in making cultured meat a viable and integral part of our food landscape.