Extract from Top stories in Cultivated Meat – July 2025

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If July in cultivated meat were a dish, it would be a slow-cooked stew: not a lot of flash, but plenty of interesting flavors simmering quietly in the pot. While the headlines weren’t dominated by dramatic breakthroughs, we saw meaningful developments—new partnerships, fresh tasting locations, and a few regulatory moves—that might just signal the sector’s slow awakening.

Winston Churchill’s 1930s vision of growing chicken parts without the chicken is no longer science fiction, it’s dinner conversation. A new explainer tackled the challenge of making cultivated meat understandable for those outside the lab, boiling it down to plain, relatable terms. Elsewhere, “Balancing the Future” explored how traditional farming and cultivated meat don’t have to be adversaries. Illtud Dunsford of Cellular Agriculture Ltd. made the case that the two can evolve together, drawing parallels between his vascular-inspired bioreactor technology and the natural systems that sustain life. Meanwhile, a sobering study reminded us that public perceptions of food remain stubbornly resistant to nuance. Two in five Americans lump all processed foods into the “unhealthy” category, underscoring the communication challenges that cultivated meat, and food innovation more broadly, must navigate.

Gourmey notched a significant UK regulatory milestone, becoming the first cultivated meat company to have its application validated by both the Food Standards Agency and Food Standards Scotland. Across the Atlantic, Mission Barns scored a regulatory first: USDA approval for its animal-free cultivated pork fat. The product, grown from a tiny pig biopsy, is set to bring rich, authentic flavor to plant-based and cultivated meat products alike. Seattle diners will soon get a taste of Wildtype’s cultivated salmon at The Walrus and the Carpenter, making it only the third restaurant in the world to serve the dish.

Partnerships were also the theme of the month. Fishway and Multus Biotechnology teamed up to tackle the global seafood shortfall, combining fish cell expertise with AI-optimized growth media. Bluu Seafood joined forces with Van Hees to create hybrid products that blend cultivated fish cells with plant-based ingredients. And in Singapore, Malaysian startup Cell AgriTech is gearing up to open a pilot facility that will double as a contract manufacturing hub for other cultivated meat players.

The investment climate for agrifoodtech remains chilly. VC funding dropped to $5.1 billion in the first half of 2025, a 37% fall compared to the same period last year, and the lowest since 2015. AI continues to soak up most investor attention, leaving cultivated meat and other food innovations to seek patient capital and “step-change” improvements to stand out. At the Salinas Biological Summit, experts painted a clear picture: securing funding now means moving fast, demonstrating value quickly, and thinking creatively about financing beyond traditional venture routes.

Europe’s novel food approval process is living up to its reputation for glacial pacing. A new analysis revealed that regulatory clearance in the EU averages 2.5 years, with some applications waiting up to six for an EFSA opinion. While the vast majority eventually get approved, the delays are stalling market entry for companies ready to scale.

See you next month!

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