The Good Food Institute (GFI) has taken a significant step in supporting the cultivated meat industry by acquiring specific assets from SciFi Foods, a cultivated meat company that ceased operations last year. This development is expected to accelerate research and development in the field, potentially overcoming significant barriers faced by startups and researchers.
Assets to Support Open Access Research
GFI, a non-profit organisation focused on advancing alternative proteins, has acquired "a small portion" of SciFi Foods’ cell lines and growth media. These include bovine cell lines adapted for suspension and serum-free growth media, making them invaluable to both academic and commercial researchers in the cultivated protein sector.
In collaboration with the Tufts University Center for Cellular Agriculture (TUCCA), GFI plans to make these resources publicly available. Academic researchers will gain initial access, with plans to extend availability to commercial entities in the future. This marks a milestone for the industry, as it will be the first time suspension-adapted bovine cell lines are made accessible globally for cultivated meat research.
A Boost for Industry Development
The financial terms of the acquisition have not been disclosed, but GFI asserts that this move could save the cultivated meat sector "millions of dollars and years of cell line development time." Dr. Amanda Hildebrand, GFI’s vice president of science and technology, emphasised the importance of this initiative:
"By making these cell lines and media broadly accessible to the cultivated meat ecosystem, researchers and companies have a new starting line – one that’s now closer to the finish line of bringing new products to market. This type of open-access jump-start invites more people to the field, gives everyone a better starting position, and ultimately can produce more winners – companies that get more products to consumer plates, and consumers who have more choices for foods they love."
The high cost of production, particularly the development of growth media, remains a significant challenge for cultivated meat producers. By providing open access to these resources, GFI hopes to enable startups to focus on product innovations without being hindered by the prohibitive costs of early development.
Industry Reflections on SciFi Foods
SciFi Foods ceased operations in June of last year, with GFI successfully placing a bid for its assets in August. Reflecting on this transition, Joshua March, co-founder and CEO of SciFi Foods, said:
"Although we are at the end of the line at SciFi Foods, we hope this is just the beginning of the cultivated meat industry. As a result of what both GFI and Tufts have done here, academic researchers and future startups will be able to save huge amounts of time and money and will be able to focus on what really matters most: making products people love."
Paving the Way for Cultivated Meat Adoption
The cultivated meat industry remains in its early stages, with only a small number of companies receiving regulatory clearance to sell products commercially. Even for those that have launched products, sales have been limited. GFI’s initiative aims to lower barriers to entry for new players in the space, fostering innovation and accelerating the growth of the sector.
This acquisition comes amid other notable developments in the cultivated protein sector. For instance, French company Gourmey recently acquired VitalMeat, forming a new business named Parima.
By providing foundational resources to researchers and startups, GFI’s efforts could catalyse progress in the cultivated meat industry, bringing it closer to delivering sustainable protein alternatives to consumers worldwide.
