We are all too familiar with the consequences that our meat consumption has on the planet. Meat production is judged for its inefficiencies, animal cruelty and contribution to greenhouse gas emissions. However, few consumers feel the motivation to change their food consumption in order to support a more sustainable lifestyle (Austgulen et al., 2018). As changing the behaviour of all consumer appears to be challenging, technology may offer an alternative path to finding a solution to this wicked problem.
More and more start-ups are exploring the path of cultured meat as a proposed alternative to the traditional animal production. Cultured meat describes the process of producing meat using vitro cultivation of animal cells (Mosa Meat, 2019a). Mosa Meat is a Dutch start-up with the mission to commercialize cultured meat and offer it to the mass market as a viable alternative to the traditional production process for meat by 2021. In 2013, Sergey Brin, co-founder of Google, funded the initial research which led to the creation of the first Hamburger made out of cultured meat. While the project was a success, the cost of production was roughly $250,000, not very affordable for the average consumer. However, Mosa Meat is optimistic that the cost of production will drop to $10, making it a commercially viable alternative for consumers.
Following recent taste tests conducted by Mosa Meat, testers were unable to distinguish real meat from the cultured alternative (Mosa Meat, 2019b). I am very curious to try it myself, are you? Nonetheless, the benefits of cultured meat are clear: it sustainably meets the demands of a growing population, it is animal-friendly, and it requires fewer resources making it efficient to produce.
In a series A funding, Mosa Meat was successful in securing €7.5M in funding (Brightlands, 2018). Bell Food Group was one of the investors, who is also one of the world’s leading processors of meat (Bellfoodgroup, n.d). This showcases that the threat of substitution is real. Traditional companies in the meat industry are reacting to the disrupting innovation in an attempt to not be left behind by technological advancements. I am all too curious how this will play out. Will consumer welcome or accept cultured meat as a substitute for traditional meat – would you?
References:
Austgulen, M., Skuland, S., Schjøll, A. and Alfnes, F. (2018). Consumer Readiness to Reduce Meat Consumption for the Purpose of Environmental Sustainability: Insights from Norway. Sustainability, 10(9), p.3058.
Bellfoodgroup.com. (n.d.). Bell Food Group. [online] Available at: https://www.bellfoodgroup.com/en/ [Accessed 18 Oct. 2019].
Brightlands. (2018). MosaMeat raises €7.5M to commercialise cultured meat. [online] Available at: https://www.brightlands.com/news/2018/cultured-meat-mosameat-receives-75-million-euros-funding [Accessed 18 Oct. 2019].
Mosa Meat. (2019a). How cultured meat is made — Mosa Meat. [online] Available at: https://www.mosameat.com/technology [Accessed 18 Oct. 2019].
Mosa Meat. (2019b). The latest taste test – Mosa Meat. [online] Available at: https://www.mosameat.com/blog/2019/9/20/our-latest-taste-test [Accessed 18 Oct. 2019].
