Latest news with #labgrownmeat
Fast Company
08-08-2025
- Business
- Fast Company
Cultured meat lost its sizzle, but it's finally finding a place in the food world
In the late 2010s, cultured meat was everywhere—and yet nowhere. From Reddit to major magazine covers, articles touted the latest advances in 'lab-grown meat,' promising cruelty-free, environmentally friendly steaks at your local supermarket. The hype was palpable. One 2019 report predicted cultured meats would halve the number of cows on the planet by 2030, disrupting the world's oldest industry by delivering ethical meat with negligible environmental impact that tasted identical to traditional meat—and at a fraction of the price. That promise of rapid disruption terrified conventional animal agriculture stakeholders. Under pressure from these livestock constituents, lawmakers in multiple states have banned this new protein source entirely. Florida and Alabama passed bans in 2024, with more states following. Indiana imposed a manufacturing moratorium with steep fines, Nebraska prohibited its production and sale, and Montana 's governor signed legislation to ensure consumers could 'continue to enjoy authentic meat.' In June, a Texas ban became law, with the state's agriculture commissioner touting the 'God-given right' to pasture-raised meat—even though the vast majority of what Americans eat comes from industrial feedlots. But here's the irony: Lawmakers are fighting a version of cultured meat that never materialized. Today, while you can eat cultured meat at more than 60 venues in Singapore and Australia, and cultured seafood at two restaurants in the U.S. at the time of this writing, it's far from the rapid disruption that was forecasted. More than a decade after the world's first cultured hamburger was announced, the hype has virtually disappeared. The reality of how and why this all transpired is complicated. However, we would argue that what we're witnessing isn't industry failure, but the natural evolution of a transformative invention finding its true market fit. Cultured meat technology works; what needed adjustment were the timelines and business models that promised too much, too quickly, and to replicate conventional meats that people already enjoy en masse. Rather than viewing this as a setback, some in the industry are discovering something potentially more valuable: sustainable, scalable pathways to market that don't require displacing existing agriculture but can grow alongside it. As the industry turns the page to a new chapter, once uncertain regulatory pathways are now established in multiple countries. The technology itself continues to advance. Production yields are improving, costs are declining, and new species beyond traditional livestock are proving viable for cultivation. More importantly, early market success demonstrates genuine consumer appetite. In Singapore, where cultured meat has been available the longest, restaurants report strong repeat customers and growing demand. In Australia, where cultured meat became available at dozens of restaurants in recent weeks, initial sales and demand for the items are taking off. This suggests cultured meat purveyors aren't just scratching a theoretical itch, but delivering real value and excitement that consumers recognize and seek out. This reality is leading to a strategic pivot that may actually benefit both the industry and consumers: innovation over imitation. Rather than trying to perfectly replicate a chicken wing or rib-eye steak—products that traditional animal agriculture already produces and consumers are accustomed to—companies that are finding success are creating entirely new culinary experiences that excite chefs and diners alike. Take Japanese quail, a species that demonstrates cultivated meat's unique advantages. Traditional quail foie gras is impossible to produce commercially—the birds are so petite that conventional methods are prohibitively labor-intensive, and the production process itself remains controversial. Japanese quail, however, proves remarkably well-suited for cultivation technology, enabling the creation of previously undoable delicacies like foie gras, whipped pâté, and even edible tallow candles. And Vow can make a lot of it. The company recently completed the largest cultured meat harvest in history: more than one metric ton of quail. And it projects it will have the capacity, by the end of 2025, to harvest up to 130 metric tons annually. While that's still minimal compared with the 12.29 million metric tons of beef American farmers produced in 2023 and 2024, it is proof that cultured meat can offer consumers genuinely new choices and advance consumer acceptance. It's an illustration of how the industry can position itself as expanding culinary possibilities while avoiding potential conflicts with traditional agriculture. Rather than letting politicians dictate what should be on our plates in order to protect incumbent industries, we should trust consumers to decide for themselves. When given the freedom to choose, consumers are embracing these innovations as exciting additions to culinary experiences, the evidence suggests. That's a decision best left to diners, not lawmakers.
Yahoo
20-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
£5,000 invested in this 9p penny stock just 1 month ago is now worth…
Agronomics (LSE: ANIC) is a penny stock on the move — it's up 23.3% in just a month. This means that anyone who put five grand into Agronomics shares in mid-June would now be sitting on £6,165. But had an investor bagged this one at just under 4p at the start of 2025, they would have done even better. Year to date, the stock has rocketed 138% to 9p! Science fact For those wondering, Agronomics is the backer of 20+ venture-stage companies aiming to commercialise lab-grown meat. These start-ups are harnessing innovative technologies to produce cell-cultivated meat, milk, eggs, and more. In other words, products that remove the need to farm livestock and slaughter animals. Instead, animal cells are grown in a lab or bioreactor. While that might sound like something out of Frankenstein, this isn't science fiction. Indeed, it's fast becoming science fact. Take BlueNalu, for example, which is one of Agronomics' portfolio bets. This is a US-based firm pioneering cell-cultivated seafood. Its first product is bluefin tuna, which is one of the world's most overfished species. The company grows the seafood in bioreactors, cell by cell. That means no heads, tails, bones, or microplastics — just pure fillets. Again, this isn't just pie-in-the-sky stuff. BlueNalu has expanded a deal with Nomad Foods, the frozen food firm behind Birds Eye and Findus, to support the future commercialisation of its seafood products in the UK and Europe. According to a survey sponsored by BlueNalu, 92% of 2,000 frequent sushi eaters in the UK expressed interest in trying the product. If BlueNalu achieves regulatory approval and commercial rollout, the value of Agronomics' investment could soar. Another firm backed by Agronomics — called Meatly — has cut bioreactor costs by 95%. This moves its cultivated pet food, which was launched in Pets at Home in February, closer to price parity with conventional chicken. Frankenfood fears It's tricky to put a valuation on Agronomics. Most of the companies it holds are still making their way towards commercialisation. But in March, Agronomics' net asset value (NAV) was calculated at 14.93p. With the shares now at 9p, this suggests a NAV discount of about 40%. On this basis, the shares are still undervalued, despite doubling this year. However, it's important to understand that this is a high-risk stock. Some of these firms could go bust due to a lack of funding or a failure to successfully launch products. Also, there may well be a backlash against lab-grown meat. The Trump administration could make US regulatory approvals and funding more difficult. Moreover, the US meat industry and agribusiness groups are obviously going to put up a fight. I expect to see plenty many 'Frankenfood' posts and headlines over the next few years. Adventurous Still, this technology is potentially revolutionary. As Agronomics argues, 'We are on the cusp of the deepest, fastest, most consequential disruption in food and agricultural production since the first domestication of plants and animals 10,000 years ago.' Given the fact that Agronomics invested in these start-ups at the ground floor level, the returns could be enormous if a couple of them succeed in future. But that's not guaranteed. Therefore, this is the very definition of a high-risk, high-reward penny stock. Only the most adventurous investors should consider it. The post £5,000 invested in this 9p penny stock just 1 month ago is now worth… appeared first on The Motley Fool UK. More reading 5 Stocks For Trying To Build Wealth After 50 One Top Growth Stock from the Motley Fool Ben McPoland has no position in any of the shares mentioned. The Motley Fool UK has recommended Pets At Home Group Plc. Views expressed on the companies mentioned in this article are those of the writer and therefore may differ from the official recommendations we make in our subscription services such as Share Advisor, Hidden Winners and Pro. Here at The Motley Fool we believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. Motley Fool UK 2025
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Tennessee to regulate lab-grown meat through new legislation
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — New rules for lab-grown meat are set to take effect in Tennessee next month. Lawmakers passed a bill this year to establish a permit process through the Department of Agriculture to sell 'alternative protein' in the state. The legislation will also ban the words 'meat' or 'meat food products' from being printed on the label of lab-grown meat products, and create a $2,000 fine for breaking the rules. 'We've heard about cell-cultured protein or lab-grown meat for several years now, and this has become a concern for people among all walks of life,' Rep. Rusty Grills (R-Newbern), the bill's sponsor, said. 📧 Have breaking news come to you: → Multiple states have passed legislation banning lab-grown meat, including Florida and Alabama. However, Tennessee lawmakers shelved a bill that would have prohibited alternative protein in 2024, and instead passed legislation to regulate how the products are sold and marketed this year. While lab-grown meat isn't available in Tennessee yet, Dr. Neal Schrick, a professor at the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, told lawmakers that will eventually change. 'I tell students in class they are going to have the opportunity for this in the future, it's going to be available, and to me, it needs to be their choice,' Schrick said. Schrick testified to lawmakers lab-grown meat needs to be regulated and controlled. Most of its production process is protected by intellectual property, making it impossible to know everything inside the product. The process that is known is complex. 'Now they're using what they call scaffolding, which allows us to put the muscle fibers and the adipose or marbling, like we like to see in a good steak, be able to stack it, and you also see on that slide what they call 3D bioprinting, so that's where the technology is going,' Schrick said. In addition, lab-grown meat cannot filter out antibiotics on its own, which experts believe is cause for concern. 'We've asked that question. How are you going to remove it? There's no liver, there's no kidney, how are you going to clean this antibiotic? We have yet to get an answer,' Schrick said. 'The original one was they would rinse it, but if it's a steak, how are you going to rinse it out of the middle of a steak?' ⏩ Right now, there are two companies in the U.S. authorized to produce lab-grown chicken. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Fast Company
28-06-2025
- Business
- Fast Company
The first-ever cultivated-meat fish just got FDA approval. Its CEO talks about how Wildtype got there.
In early June, Wildtype, a San Francisco-based lab-grown meat company, received approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to sell its cultivated sushi-grade salmon saku after a yearslong waiting game. The company is only the fourth to receive FDA approval for cultivated meat in the U.S., joining Upside Foods and Good Meat, which both sell laboratory-grown chicken, and Mission Barns, which focuses on pork fat. Wildtype, meanwhile, is the only company of its ilk focusing on replicating seafood. Wildtype's salmon is not a plant-based meat alternative; it's actual salmon, derived from Pacific salmon cells that have been fed with nutrients like protein, fat, and salt. The end product is a cut of meat that the company says looks like salmon, tastes like salmon and, nutritionally, is like a fraternal twin to the real thing. This new form of lab-grown meat is debuting just as the budding cultivated meat industry has become a political flashpoint among some conservative dissenters. How a former brewery became a lab for growing fish Wildtype was founded in 2017 by Justin Kolbeck, a former diplomat, and Aryé Elfenbein, a cardiologist. Kolbeck says the two shared an interest in entrepreneurship, as well as a desire to pursue new solutions to global food insecurity. At the time, Elfenbein was working on a project that involved the regeneration of damaged human heart tissue—a process that led him to wonder how a similar process might be used to create meat products without actually harming any animals. From there, the idea for Wildtype was born.
Bloomberg
27-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Bloomberg
Apple Is Rooting for F1's Lewis Hamilton as a Filmmaker
Plus: A new episode of Everybody's Business, and the enduring power of the lab-grown meat argument. By Save Earlier this week, Thomas Buckley wrote about the film F1 and Apple's big screen push. Today he continues the conversation with one of the movie's producers, driver Lewis Hamilton. Plus: The Everybody's Business podcast discusses New York City's political earthquake, and an informative, funny book about climate change falls into familiar traps. If this email was forwarded to you, click here to sign up.
