Here we are in November 2024, not really the best time for turkeys but with interesting news for cultivated meat. This month, lab-grown innovations have been sizzling, from futuristic foie gras to new research that brings us closer to sustainable, guilt-free meat options.
The big splash came with a study from Respectfarms showing that farm-scale cultivated meat isn’t just feasible—it could be profitable by 2030. By integrating cultivated meat production into traditional farms, we could bypass many of the logistical and ethical challenges that currently slow the industry. Meanwhile, the French company Faircraft stirred things up by securing €15 million to expand lab-grown leather production, proving that cellular agriculture isn’t just about what’s on our plates—it’s about what’s in our closets too.
In a broader shift, food tech leaders like Kim Odhner signaled a pivot away from direct meat replacements. Instead, the focus is shifting toward diversified innovations that cater to evolving consumer demands.
Big moves in South Korea set the stage for cultivated meat’s market launch in 2025. The Good Food Institute APAC, KoreaBIO, and BFFIC teamed up to streamline novel protein production and clear regulatory hurdles. Across the globe in Switzerland, The Cultured Hub—a collaboration between Givaudan, Bühler, and Migros—opened its doors as a growth facility for scaling cultivated food.
Innovation kept things spicy with Vow’s debut of “Forged Gras,” a cultivated foie gras that marries luxury dining with sustainability. On the technical front, SuperMeat achieved a breakthrough in cost parity for cultivated chicken, and Meatable received funding to push its sustainability-driven ambitions. Simultaneously, Jellatech expanded operations in the U.S., boosting its capacity to produce ethical proteins for health and longevity applications.
November was also a month of big bets. Big Idea Ventures announced new investments in cutting-edge startups through its Global Food Innovation Fund II, highlighting the global appetite for disruption in food tech.
Policy debates heated up, with the Japan Association for Cellular Agriculture urging clearer regulations to foster cultivated meat growth. In Australia, a second round of consultations began for Vow’s cultivated quail, reflecting progress in adapting food standards. In contrast, the U.S. had its skeptics—politician JD Vance dismissed alt-meat as “disgusting,” highlighting ongoing cultural and ideological divides around the future of food.
Sustainability stole the spotlight in cultivated meat research. A breakthrough system using co-culture with cyanobacteria promises to make serum-free culture media more sustainable, reducing environmental costs. Researchers also explored sorghum-based scaffolds for lab-grown pork, expanding the potential for plant-based integration in cultured meat. Even artificial intelligence joined the table, with studies detailing how machine learning could optimize everything from cell culture to bioprocessing, accelerating development at every level.
See you next month!
News
Paris-based Faircraft raises €15 million to expand lab-grown leather production November 28, 2024
Faircraft, a French startup focusing on lab-grown leather through cellular agriculture, has raised €15 million in a funding round led by investors including Kindred Ventures, Cap Horn, BPI, Alliance for Impact, and Entrepreneur First. The capital will support scaling production, team expansion, and technological advancements to meet growing demand for… Read more: Paris-based Faircraft raises €15 million to expand lab-grown leather production
Top food tech trends 2025 November 22, 2024
According to Kim Odhner, co-founder and managing partner at Unovis Asset Management, the meat alternatives industry is moving away from direct meat replacements. “In 2025, I expect that the food industry will continue its pivot from focusing heavily on direct meat replacements, such as plant-based burgers or cultured meats, to… Read more
Farm-scale cultivated meat is feasible: study November 15, 2024
Respectfarms, an international foundation, has announced the completion of its 18-month feasibility research project into the possibility of producing cultivated meat on conventional farms. The verdict: It’s feasible — and would be profitable by 2030. Farm-scale cultivated meat setups would bypass, the researchers note, many current difficulties associated with cultivated… Read more: Farm-scale cultivated meat is feasible: study
Companies and key players
New Tri-Party Initiative Launches to Accelerate Cultivated Meat in South Korea Ahead of 2025 Market Launch November 30, 2024
The Good Food Institute APAC (GFI APAC), the Korea Biotechnology Industry Organization (KoreaBIO), and the Bio-based Future Food Industry Committee (BFFIC) have joined forces to accelerate novel proteins in South Korea. The try-party initiative has launched ahead of South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety’s first regulatory review of… Read more: New Tri-Party Initiative Launches to Accelerate Cultivated Meat in South Korea Ahead of 2025 Market Launch
The Cultured Hub opens its doors November 27, 2024
The Cultured Hub — a joint venture of Swiss companies Givaudan, Bühler and Migros — has opened doors on its “pioneering scale-up and growth service facility dedicated to the cultivated food industry,” located in Kemptthal, Switzerland. Source: The Cultured Hub opens its doors | Alt Meat
Vow Unveils World’s First Cultured Quail ‘Foie Gras’ November 26, 2024
Today Vow launched Forged Gras – a revolutionary twist on the delicacy, foie gras – making it the first and only company actively selling multiple cultured meat products in multiple markets. Vow’s innovative twist on this highly sought-after but frequently banned dish marks the beginning of a new generation of… Read more: Vow Unveils World’s First Cultured Quail ‘Foie Gras’
SuperMeat Achieves Breakthrough in Cost Parity for Cultivated Chicken Production November 19, 2024
The data collected in the current 10-liter scale production runs provide a foundation for evaluating the economics in larger bioreactors. The continuous production and differentiation processes are structured to be adaptable to large industrial systems, by using well established and proven as scalable equipment and processes. Techno-economic analysis of the… Read more: SuperMeat Achieves Breakthrough in Cost Parity for Cultivated Chicken Production
Meatable earns investment from sustainability-focused bank November 18, 2024
“We are excited to partner with Desmos as we embark on this new funding round,” Meatable CEO Jeff Tripician said in a statement. “Their commitment to sustainability and emission reduction aligns seamlessly with Meatable’s vision for a more sustainable food system. It is a validation of our business model as… Read more: Meatable earns investment from sustainability-focused bank
Lab-Grown Eel Producer Achieves ‘Record-Breaking’ Development November 17, 2024
The Israeli company’s technology has reached a cell density of over 300 million cells per ml with minimal and precise use of cultured media, which make up the bulk of the costs of cultivated meat. This, the firm says, will allow it to further reduce costs of its planet-friendly version… Read more: Lab-Grown Eel Producer Achieves ‘Record-Breaking’ Development
Jellatech opens new 9,000-square-foot US facility November 16, 2024
Jellatech CEO Stephanie Michelsen said: “Our new facility represents a leap forward in our ability to deliver high-quality, consistent and ethically produced proteins for human health and longevity applications. This move not only significantly increases our production capacity but also reinforces our commitment to setting new standards in sustainability, innovation… Read more
Market, investment, prospective
Big Idea Ventures Announces Six New Investments Through Global Food Innovation Fund II November 3, 2024
Big Idea Ventures (BIV), a global investment leader within the food-tech, agri-tech, and materials science sectors, announced six new company investments through the Global Food Innovation Fund II (GFIF II). This latest cohort includes groundbreaking startups from around the world focussed on innovations ranging from fermentation-enabled fatty acids and protein-based… Read more
Laws, ethics and lobbies
Cultivated Meat: What is Needed From the New Government? November 29, 2024
The UK possesses the technology and talent necessary to revolutionise and transform its food systems – it could be a global leader. This new Government must change its approach to supporting innovation in food, through policy and infrastructure that can help to grow the economy. We cannot shy away from… Read more: Cultivated Meat: What is Needed From the New Government?
JACA calls for clear cultivated meat regulations November 25, 2024
The Japan Association for Cellular Agriculture in late October submitted a proposal to Japan’s Consumer Affairs Agency and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, seeking a clearer process for regulation of cultivated meat. Source: JACA calls for clear cultivated meat regulations | Alt Meat
Australian cultivated food regulations advance November 20, 2024
Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) on Tuesday announced it would kick off a second round of public consultation on an application to accept cultivated quail created by Vow, a cultivated meat firm, as food and amend the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code. Source: Australian cultivated food regulations advance… Read more: Australian cultivated food regulations advance
‘Do not eat this disgusting fake meat’: JD Vance November 13, 2024
JD Vance, the Republican nominee for US vice president, last week aired his opinion of alt-meat as a guest on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast.”If you’re any vegetarian, eat paneer and rice and delicious chickpeas. Do not eat this disgusting fake meat,” said Vance, who calls himself a “meat and… Read more
Research
A serum-free culture medium production system by co-culture combining growth factor-secreting cells and l-lactate-assimilating cyanobacteria for sustainable cultured meat production November 14, 2024
However, RL34 cells can deplete nutrients and release harmful metabolites into the culture medium over time, potentially causing growth inhibition and apoptosis. This issue highlights the need for waste clearance during condition medium production. To address this issue, we introduced a lactate permease gene (lldP) and an L-lactate-to-pyruvate conversion enzyme… Read more: A serum-free culture medium production system by co-culture combining growth factor-secreting cells and l-lactate-assimilating cyanobacteria for sustainable cultured meat production
Sorghum grain–based scaffolds expand lab-grown pork options November 2, 2024
Meat grown in a lab isn’t science fiction anymore. Cultured meats have existed for over a decade, and as of 2023, you might even find lab-grown chicken in restaurants (in the U.S., at least). Now, with the literal support of plant-based scaffolds, “clean meat” options are expanding. Researchers publishing in… Read more: Sorghum grain–based scaffolds expand lab-grown pork options
Artificial intelligence and machine learning applications for cultured meat November 1, 2024
This review covers the work available to date on the use of machine learning in cultured meat and explores future possibilities. We address four major areas of cultured meat research and development: establishing cell lines, cell culture media design, microscopy and image analysis, and bioprocessing and food processing optimization. In… Read more