Cultivated meat

For several years, researchers have been exploring the possibility of doing without meat, dairy products or eggs from the breeding or even slaughter of animals. The most exploited solution today is the replacement by plant-based solutions (algae, legumes, other vegetable proteins).  However, an even more avant-garde idea has been developed for more than 10 years, first in laboratories and then at the food production stage: cellular meat culture.

The idea is to grow cells to form edible tissue resembling “real meat”.  According to an article from the Natural History Museum (on their website), already in 2013, the price of an artificial steak was estimated at 250,000 euros. Since then, technologies and know-how have greatly improved, as has the cost-effectiveness of such practices, which makes them competitive. 

In this case, we start with stem cell aggregates bathed in a serum supplemented with growth factors and other additives necessary for cell growth.

Of course, some speak of “Frankenstein-Food” for ethical reasons, and others counter that it will probably be an inevitable solution in the coming decades in the face of the global shortage of proteins and in situations where the space to produce them would be limited (space missions for example, desert areas,). Moreover, aspects of “animal welfare” are important even for consumers who are neither vegan nor vegetarian.

The regulatory obstacles are considerable. Some countries have already given authorization for the marketing of such products (Singapore, Israel, the United States, and recently the United Kingdom).

In Europe, it’s more complicated. In 2023, Italy officially opposed the marketing of cellular meat.  Similarly, France, Austria, Italy and 9 other European countries have spoken out against these practices to promote “authentic methods of food production”.

In any case, in Europe, the regulatory process requires that an application for “Novel Food” authorization be made for production and marketing to be authorized.

This is, for example, the process that the Gourmey company in France has begun for the production of duck or goose foie gras made by cell culture (see link to the website). Gourmey is the first European company to file this kind of application in Europe. Science 2 Food has no connection with this company but it is interesting to point it out as a perfect example of this new trend that is being initiated.