Cultured meat

Cultured meat, also known as cultivated meat among other names, is a form of <a href="/facts/Cellular_agriculture/MXHW6lUG">cellular agriculture</a> wherein meat is produced by <a href="/facts/Cell_culture/7Qhu13D9">culturing</a> animal cells <a href="/facts/In_vitro/evp3hAX6">in vitro</a>; thus growing animal flesh, molecularly identical to that of conventional meat, outside of a living animal. Cultured meat is produced using <a href="/facts/Tissue_engineering/Tx77KG1S">tissue engineering</a> techniques pioneered in <a href="/facts/Regenerative_medicine/RplB5P22">regenerative medicine</a>. It has been noted for potential in lessening the <a href="/facts/Environmental_impact_of_meat_production/quFfEtn4">impact of meat production on the environment</a> and addressing issues around <a href="/facts/Animal_welfare/R22EA5vT">animal welfare</a>, <a href="/facts/Food_security/cKrQd4E9">food security</a> and <a href="/facts/Human_health/yzPVrjTs">human health</a>.

Jason Matheny popularized the concept in the early 2000s after he co-authored a paper on cultured meat production and created <a href="/facts/New_Harvest/DgetIER9">New Harvest</a>, the world's first <a href="/facts/Non-profit_organization/AmXu2c85">non-profit organization</a> dedicated to in vitro meat research. In 2013, <a href="/facts/Mark_Post/3c81xYjX">Mark Post</a> created a <a href="/facts/Hamburger/6TqC1AKy">hamburger</a> patty made from tissue grown outside of an animal; other cultured meat <a href="/facts/Prototype/q0yPLYdb">prototypes</a> have gained media attention since. In 2020, <a href="/facts/SuperMeat/y5uMwEfy">SuperMeat</a> opened a farm-to-fork restaurant in <a href="/facts/Tel_Aviv/cQ8X3WVd">Tel Aviv</a> called The Chicken, serving cultured chicken burgers in exchange for reviews to test consumer reaction rather than money; while the "world's first commercial sale of cell-cultured meat" occurred in December 2020 at <a href="/facts/Singapore/CQDkhUvD">Singapore</a> restaurant 1880, where cultured chicken manufactured by United States firm <a href="/facts/Eat_Just/fQ7j8V1F">Eat Just</a> was sold.
Most efforts focus on common meats such as pork, beef, and chicken; species which constitute the bulk of conventional meat consumption in developed countries. Some companies have pursued various species of fish and other seafood, such as Avant Meats who brought cultured <a href="/facts/Grouper/9A29GwXE">grouper</a> to market in 2021. Other companies such as Orbillion Bio have focused on high-end or unusual meats including elk, lamb, bison, and Wagyu beef. 
The production process of cultured meat is constantly evolving, driven by companies and <a href="/facts/Research_and_development/2h5UddUu">research</a> institutions. The applications for cultured meat havе led to <a href="/facts/Ethics_of_eating_meat/WISmqCM0">ethical</a>, <a href="/facts/Meat/DUHTTM1d">health</a>, <a href="/facts/Meat/DUHTTM1d">environmental</a>, cultural, and <a href="/facts/Economic/okLWSsEY">economic</a> discussions. Data published by <a href="/facts/The_Good_Food_Institute/NsySyzpY">The Good Food Institute</a> found that in 2021 through 2023, cultured meat and seafood companies attracted over $2.5 billion in investment worldwide. However, cultured meat is not yet widely available.

Cultured meat open-in-new

Cultured meat