Frequently Asked Questions About Cell Based Meat

Since cell based meat technology is relatively new in the food industry, it is expected that many people around the world would have numerous questions about it. This article therefore seeks to reduce the knowledge gap by addressing 15 commonly asked questions about cell based meat.

15 FAQs about Cell Based Meat

1. What is cell based meat?

Cell based meat is meat made from animal cell culture.  It covers a range of proteins like animal flesh, fish and offal. It is made by a process of extracting animal cells and feeding them with the right medium to make them grow outside the body of animals. This process produces meat that is similar to conventional meat in structure and taste without killing any animals. Other names associated with cell based meat are lab based meat, cell cultured meat and cultivated meat.

2. What are the benefits of cell based meat?

Cell based meat holds a lot of advantages for the global community. First is the fact that it eradicates animal cruelty completely. Another benefit is that environmental pollution caused by the emission of greenhouse gases is reduced to the barest with this technology. In addition, the fact that meat can be produced indoors without being affected by any external factors makes it feasible for local communities to produce their protein supply in a cost-efficient manner. Cultivated meat also serves as a solution to the problem of depletion of natural resources like land water and energy that is associated with traditional farming practices.

3. When will cell based meat be available?

There is no unified timing for the cell cultured meat launch in the global market. Different companies have proposed different timings for the arrival of cell based meat products on store shelves. While one of the issues for the delay is regulatory approval, Singapore already authorised the sale of cell cultured meat in 2020. Cultivated meat companies are working to increase the production scale and advance production technologies so that by the time it is launched, it will be affordable for all. While a good number of companies have a time frame estimation of the next one to two years from now, some others have projected the launch of cell based meat sale in stores within the decade.

4. Is cell based meat among the GMOs?

A GMO is a genetically modified organism. It involves the introduction of a desired gene’s DNA into the DNA sequence of another organism to yield a certain result. The result is the manifestation of desired traits in the organism. According to European experts, the animal cells used in cell cultured meat production are usually unmodified, so they do not in any way fall into the class of genetically modified foods. Again, with the emergence of the GMOs, there was a lack of transparency about the technology which made them lose public trust. So experts and companies involved in cell based meat production are working relentlessly to ensure that the public is properly acquainted with the lab based meat technology.

5. Is lab based meat safe?

The cultured meat production process is not far from what obtains in bread or beer production, and is very safe. The growth medium used for the culture process contains nothing outside of the regular food constituents used in the food industry, and their safety can be vouched for. The scaffolds use to give the cells a three-dimensional structure and improve the taste are also made from edible materials. Overall, there are regulatory bodies that have been put in place to ensure that the entire process, from the sourcing of stem cells to the final step of production, is executed under conditions that enhance the safety of the meat for consumers.

6. How is cell based meat made?

The production of cell based meat involves extracting animal cells and then fortifying them with nutrients until they grow into large muscle tissues. There are four major steps in the process. First, stem cells are acquired from animals, either directly or indirectly. These stem cells are imbued with the appropriate growth medium, which usually contains adequate nutrients to aid the multiplication of cells. Scaffolds, usually made from edible materials, are then adopted to provide the cells with the necessary three-dimensional structure and taste. Finally, the process is completed in the bioreactor, where more growth and specialisation of cells take place. The end product is real meat.

7. What is hindering cell based meat from making its way into the global market?

A major challenge facing the cell based meat industry is the delay in regulatory approval across the globe. Of all the nations of the world where lab based meat start-ups exist, only Singapore has given its approval for the sale of cultivated meat. Apart from this, since most of the current work on cultivated meat is channelled towards small scale production, the technology that will aid sustained production of cell based meat on a larger scale must be properly researched into and defined. The success of cultivated meat in the market is also hinged on thorough research. While this has been ongoing, more public funds need to be pumped into research bordering on lab based meat.

8. What companies are working on cell based meat?

A good number of countries across the world already house start up cultivated meat companies. Singapore is taking the lead, with cultivated meat company, Eat Just already having approval for the sale of cell based chicken in the country. Future Meat Technologies, located in Israel, is also one of the companies that have succeeded in discovering technologies for cost effective cell based meat production. China-based CellX has also been attracting investors in its quest for cell cultured meat production and has already executed a successful cell based pork tasting event in 2020. Other companies exist like Avant Meats in Hong Kong, California’s Finless Foods, Tel Aviv’s SuperMeat, and a host of others.

9. What is the difference between cell based meat, clean, meat, cultured meat and cultivated meat?

All these terms refer to the same technology of producing meat outside animal bodies by using stem cells and can be used interchangeably. However, it appears that the nomenclature is an important factor in determining whether or not the technology will be accepted by consumers.  As discovered by the Good Food Institute (GFI), the word ‘cultivate’ is more relatable to the process of growing edible plants and breeding animals for food. On the other hand, most of the other descriptive terms sound like some chemical-laden meat that consumers may perceive to be unsafe.

10. Is cell based meat real meat?

Cultivated meat is 100% real meat. The only difference between cell based meat and conventional meat is the production process. Although some opponents of cell cultured meat refer to it as synthetic, fake, or artificial meat because it is grown outside the body of animals, it is essential to mention that it is real meat because it is derived from animal cells.

11. Is cell based meat the same as plant based meat?

Plant based meat is different from cell based meat. Plant-based meat is usually produced from plant or plant-associated proteins. While the production is wired to yield plant-based meat that looks like conventional animal meat, it cannot be referred to as animal meat because it does not contain any animal elements. Cell based meat on the other hand is fully animal meat.

12. Is cell based meat vegan?

Vegans are vegetarians who do not eat animal meat or any animal-derived products. The reason is that they do not support the animal slaughter process which they believe to be an act of violence against animals. As an alternative, they consume plant-based proteins like soy, which have no relationship whatsoever with animals. Cell based meat is 100% animal protein, and although it encourages zero tolerance for animal cruelty, there is still no guarantee that it can be described as vegan or embraced by vegans because it is sourced from animals.

13. Is cell based meat available for sale in the UK?

At the moment, cell based meat is not yet available for sale in the UK. However, just like in other countries, Ivy Farms Technologies, a UK start up cultivated meat company, has the goal of ensuring that cell based beef, sausage and burgers are available in stores by 2023. Oxford Economics also reports that the projections of the job creation and economic development potential of the cell cultured meat industry in the UK by 2030 are quite encouraging. On the flip side, it seems that the European Union’s system of regulation for novel foods is one of the factors restricting the entry of lab based meat into the market.

14. How much will cell based meat cost?

The production cost of cell based meat on a small scale is quite high. The first beef burger patty cost about $300,000 to produce. However, experts can now produce one for $10 and they project that with large scale production and advancing technologies, the process will be more cost effective and cultivated meat prices will become more affordable for consumers.

15. Is cell cultured meat halal?

In the Islamic context, foods that are compliant with Islamic laws are referred to as halal. Cell based meat can only be fit as halal if the cells used in the production are obtained from slaughtered animals and not extracted from living animals; and if the meat is not produced from blood or serum. It may be difficult to achieve this because cell based meat is supposed to involve zero animal cruelty. Based on this, it may not be ultimately acceptable for consumption by adherents of the Islamic faith. Nevertheless, there are still no clear-cut answers about whether cultivated meat is halal or not.

In conclusion, cell based meat technology keeps advancing and there is so much more to know as experts seek better ways to produce meat and reduce cost, without compromising taste or quality.