Cultured meat

The first cell-cultured hamburger, cooked at a news conference in London, 2013

Cultured chicken in pasta salad, served at a restaurant in Singapore, 2023

Cultured meat, also known as cultivated meat among other names, is a form of cellular agriculture wherein meat is produced by culturing animal cells in vitro;^{[1][2][3][4][5]} thus growing animal flesh, moleculary identical to that of conventional livestock, outside of a living animal. Cultured meat is produced using tissue engineering techniques pioneered in regenerative medicine.^[6] It has been noted for potential in mitigating the environmental impact of meat production^[3] and addressing issues regarding animal welfare, food security and human health.^{[7][8][9][10][11][12][13]}

Jason Matheny popularized the concept in the early 2000s after he co-authored a paper^[14] on cultured meat production and created New Harvest, the world's first non-profit organization dedicated to in vitro meat research.^[15] In 2013, Mark Post created a hamburger patty made from tissue grown outside of an animal; other cultured meat prototypes have gained media attention since. In 2020, SuperMeat opened a farm-to-fork restaurant in Tel Aviv called The Chicken, serving cultured chicken burgers in exchange for reviews to test consumer reaction rather than money;^[16][17] while the "world's first commercial sale of cell-cultured meat" occurred in December 2020 at Singapore restaurant 1880, where cultured chicken manufactured by United States firm Eat Just was sold.^[18][19]

Most efforts focus on common meats such as pork, beef, and chicken; species which constitute the bulk of conventional meat consumption in developed countries.^[20] Some companies have pursued various species of fish and other seafood,^[21] such as Avant Meats who brought cultured grouper to market in 2021.^[22] Other companies such as Orbillion Bio have focused on high-end or unusual meats including elk, lamb, bison, and Wagyu beef.^[23]

The production process of cultured meat is constantly evolving, driven by companies and research institutions.^[24] The applications for cultured meat havе led to ethical,^[25] health, environmental, cultural, and economic discussions.^[26] Data published by The Good Food Institute found that in 2021 through 2023, cultured meat and seafood companies attracted over $2.5 billion in investment worldwide.^[27] However, cultured meat is not yet widely available.