In world first, Singapore approves sale of lab-grown meat

Singapore has given US start-up Eat Just the greenlight to sell its lab-grown chicken meat, in what the firm says is the world’s first regulatory approval for so-called clean meat that does not come from slaughtered animals.

Demand for alternatives to regular meat is surging due to consumer concerns about health, animal welfare and the environment. Plant-based meat options increasingly feature on supermarket shelves and restaurant menus.

But so-called clean or cultured meat, which is grown from cells outside the animal, is still at a nascent stage.

“The first-in-the-world regulatory allowance of real, high-quality meat created directly from animal cells for safe human consumption paves the way for a forthcoming small-scale commercial launch in Singapore,” Eat Just said on Wednesday.

It said in a statement the news marked a “breakthrough for the global food industry”, as it seeks to find less environmentally harmful ways of producing meat.

Meat consumption is projected to increase over 70 percent by 2050, according to Eat Just, and experts have frequently warned it is a key driver of climate change.

“I’m sure that our regulatory approval for cultured meat will be the first of many in Singapore and in countries around the globe,” said Josh Tetrick, co-founder and CEO of Eat Just.

“Working in partnership with the broader agriculture sector and forward-thinking policymakers, companies like ours can help meet the increased demand for animal protein as our population climbs to 9.7 billion by 2050.”

The firm said the meat will be sold as nuggets, adding that launch details for the product will follow later. It has previously said that each nugget will cost $50 (£37).

The company said it had conducted over 20 production runs in 1,200 litre bioreactors, and checks on safety and quality showed its cultured product met food standards.