An unsustainable demand for meat has led to companies looking for alternative solutions to conventional farming methods in order to change the way we eat and think about meat. For biotechs in particular – given recent advancements in technology – it has presented an opportunity to further explore lab-grown meat. In this article, we take a look at some of the top cultured meat companies driving the shift towards sustainable food systems.
Cultured meat is grown using cells acquired from animals by biopsy without the animal being harmed. These harvested cells are then placed in test tubes or bioreactors with a growth medium, which contains nutrients for the cells to grow and multiply. Eventually, the cells form muscle fibers, resulting in ‘lab-grown meat’.
Since the world was introduced to the first lab-grown burger in 2013 – developed by Mark Post, co-founder and chief scientific officer (CSO) of Mosa Meat – the cultured meat sector has grown enormously, with investors increasingly more likely to fund cultured meat startups. A recent report predicted that the global cultured meat market will be worth $2.1 billion by 2033, with that figure increasing to $13.7 billion by 2043.
So far, Singapore is the only country where lab-grown meats can be legally sold, but with two recent safety approvals from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), it looks like the U.S. could be next in line to approve the sale of cultured meat.
In no particular order, here are six cultured meat companies making waves in the industry.
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