UK Startup 3DBT has unveiled a whole-cut cultivated pork filet—which has the potential to completely change the way “the other white meat” is made.
Pork first became known as “the other white meat” in 1987 when an advertising agency helped the National Pork Board rebrand the pig meat by dispelling its negative reputation of being fatty. Fast-forward to 2023 and United Kingdom-based company 3D Bio-Tissues (3DBT) is improving upon pork once more: this time by taking animal slaughter out of the equation.
The company just made history by unveiling what is thought to be the world’s first whole-cut real pork filet made without slaughtering a single pig. Globally, a number of cultivated meat companies are making slaughter-free versions of many kinds of meats, including beef, chicken, and seafood. Most, including those working with porcine cells, have succeeded in making ground meat.
The difference with 3DBT is that it’s tackling whole-cuts. “This is a significant scientific breakthrough which has very positive implications not just for (parent company) BSF and 3DBT but also for the UK and the cultivated meat industry as a whole,” Che Connon, PhD, 3DBT’S CEO, said in a statement. “We are absolutely delighted with the appearance, taste, aroma, and texture of our cultivated pork, which is the first time we have fully sampled our product.”
The pork filet 3DBT exhibited measured 9cm (3.5 inches) in width, 4cm (1.6 inches) in length and 1cm in thickness (0.4 inches), or approximately the same size as a small cut of pork. It was also made using a patented growth supplement that eliminated the need to use any fillers, making what 3DBT says is the first 100-percent cultivated meat pork filet ever made and tasted in the world.
“Our cruelty-free filet has exceeded our expectations in all respects, and we are extremely excited about the technological progress we are making and the impact this could have on our industry,” Cannon said.
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