Challenges, sensitivities dent lab-grown meat uptake  

Sustainable life choices and the desire to eat clean are encouraging people to seek alternate proteins, but challenges stymie its acceptance and uptake. 

Lab-grown – or cultivated – meat is not a novel concept but for all its growth and progress over the past two decades, it has struggled to take off after the initial wave of optimism. 

Lab-grown refers to meat developed outside the body of an animal, as opposed to the traditional method of slaughtering living animals. Stem cells are extracted from an animal, cultivated in large tanks called bioreactors, and fed an oxygen- and nutrient-rich cell culture medium. Stem cells differentiate into components such as muscle, fat, and connective tissue, which are later harvested, prepared, and packaged, according to the Good Food Institute (GFI).

Its uptake, though, remains fairly modest, with the number of companies dedicated to cultivated meat development worldwide totalling 170 in 2023, according to a GFI report.

Lab-grown meat offers several advantages over conventional farming and slaughtering, including a lower environmental footprint, minimized water usage and lesser refrigeration costs.

Supply chain touchpoints are also limited as opposed to those of traditional meat, which generally include farm and feedlot operations, packing, processing, and retail operations, leading to a carbon footprint of 22kg carbon dioxide equivalent per kg of live weight, according to a DP World insights piece published last September.  

However, several reasons have stymied the growth of lab-grown meat, including religious sensitivities, protection of agricultural industries and the safeguarding of farmers’ interests.

Some view the adoption of cultivated protein as an attack on traditions, leading to varied acceptance across major jurisdictions and markets.

In Muslim-majority countries such as Malaysia, the uptake of cultivated meat is expected to bank on religious and cultural sensitivities.  

“Since Malaysia is a Muslim-majority country, the acceptance of lab-grown meat depends on its halal status. The Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM) plays a crucial role in determining whether the process and ingredients used comply with Islamic dietary laws,” Saliza Binti Mohd Elias, associate professor at the Universiti Putra Malaysia’s department of Environmental and Occupational Health tells Salaam Gateway. 

“We understand that consumer acceptance of cultivated meat varies, especially in different cultural and religious contexts. For Muslim consumers, we are fully committed to ensuring our cultivated meat and fish are halal-compliant,” Jason Ng, vice president manufacturing of Cell AgriTech Sdn Bhd tells Salaam Gateway. The company claims to be the first cultivated meat company in Malaysia. 

“According to our survey, cost is the main concern for most consumers in Malaysia and Singapore. However, as long as the taste, texture, and price are on par with traditional meat, people are open to buy especially since cultivated meat is healthier and more sustainable.”

Singapore’s Islamic Religious Council issued a guidance last year, permitting Muslims to consume cultivated meat based on certain conditions, broadening its potential consumer pool across the multi-ethnic country. 

From a price standpoint, cultivated meat may obtain cost parity with conventional meat by the end of the decade, with its market worth $25billion in size by then, according to McKinsey & Company. Companies operating in the space must then work on reducing production costs for economic viability. 

The tissue-engineering techniques fuelling cultivated meat is a key area of regenerative medicine and has long been used across the pharmaceutical industry. For the production of lab-grown meat, Cell AgriTech has replaced pharmaceutical-grade equipment and materials with food-grade alternatives, reducing production costs. 

“The goal of our tissue engineering platform is to produce structured meat and fish tissue with the right texture, nutrition, and mouthfeel - without relying on scaffolds made from non-food materials. This approach allows us to make cultivated meat affordable, scalable, and closer to the texture and experience of traditional meat,” adds Ng. 

Besides cost concerns, long-term health implications of lab-grown meat also remain unknown, which could potentially dent its acceptance. 

Cultivated meat may not have the same micronutrient profile as traditional meat, potentially lacking essential compounds found in natural animal tissue, according to Mohd Elias.

“If not properly monitored, contamination with bacteria or unwanted chemicals during the production process is possible.” 

Lab-grown meat is considered safe, but potential health concerns include unknown long-term effects, differences in nutrient composition, and risks related to growth factors, contamination, and additives, notes Dr. Mian N. Riaz, associate department head and holder of the Professorship in Food Diversity in the Department of Food Science & Technology at Texas A&M University.

“There is also speculation about potential immune responses, though no strong evidence supports this,” Dr. Riaz tells Salaam Gateway. 

On the flipside, because cultivated meat is grown in sterile conditions, it is free from harmful bacteria like Salmonella and E. coli, which are often found in conventional meat and can cause foodborne illnesses, ads Ng. 

Other factors such as traditions and protecting the sanctity of agriculture are also manifesting as key obstacles in the growth of this space.  

Italy, France and Australia submitted a note to the Council of the European Union in January last year stating that artificial cell-based food production practices represent "a threat to primary farm-based approaches and genuine food production methods that are at the very heart of the European farming model.”

The note, supported by nine other countries, added that European agriculture stands out for its farm-based and primary production approach. 

Acrosst the Atlantic, three US states – Mississippi, Florida and Alabama – banned the sale of cultivated meat products, months after authorities approved companies to produce them. Florida’s commissioner of agriculture Wilton Simpson hailed the move, stating at the time that they must protect “farmers and the integrity of American agriculture.” The state of Iowa passed a bill mandating specific labelling for cell-cultivated meat. 

Dr. Riaz adds that while other states like Arizona, Tennessee, and Nebraska have considered similar measures, opposition and legislative hurdles have prevented additional bans. 

“Lab-grown meat could disrupt traditional farming by reducing demand for conventionally farmed meat and impacting rural economies, especially if policies favour cultivated meat. However, it also presents opportunities for coexistence by meeting growing protein demand, promoting sustainability partnerships, and allowing farmers to diversify their businesses.”