Gourmet fish bladder races chicken, beef to profitability in Singapore’s lab meat push

highlights

• Costs, regulatory hurdles challenge lab-grown meat
• Eat Just expects to make profits only by end-decade
• Avant Meats targets premium fish maw market

SINGAPORE, March 6 (Reuters) – Huber’s Butchery in Singapore’s lush Dempsey Hill is the lone restaurant in the world selling lab-grown meat, but the supply is so limited there are just six servings – cultivated chicken in a salad or on kebab sticks – only on Thursdays.

Two years after Singapore greenlighted lab-grown meat for human consumption, mass production has yet to start.

The slow progress is mainly due to high production costs and underscores challenges facing the nascent industry seeking to meet demand for alternative protein that does not hurt animals or harm the environment.

However early signs show that gourmet products could turn a profit sooner than everyday meats like chicken.

As of 2022, Singapore has lured around 30 companies working on alternative proteins, looking to improve its food security. The city-state imports 90% of its food and wants to cut that to 70% by 2030.

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