Healthy living
and how much will they cost? How will the product get to market?
MacMillan also notes that the environmental impact of cultured meat is as much in the balance as its commercial viability. “It isn’t competitive on either yet,” he says, “but it might be in the next decade. “On both counts, though, it’s crucial to compare it not only with meats – which of course already have a huge range of environmental impacts and commercial propositions – but also with plant-based, fermented and other meat alternatives. Even if cultured meat starts to compete with livestock, will it ever perform well enough against other alternatives to be anything more than a niche?”
In the meantime, the RAU is leading its own research into the threats and opportunities cultured meat poses for UK farmers, for example. “They’ve been largely missing from the picture
Steak tartare made by cultivated meat products is just one example of cell-based meat’s potential.
prioritising making a mature tissue with rich tasting muscle and nutritious fat, and using the best possible process to create real beef. Getting to parity takes time, but for mass scale consumer adoption we believe it is essential.” Professor Tom MacMillan, Elizabeth Creak chair in rural policy & strategy at the Royal Agricultural University (RAU), takes a more nuanced view, however. While he notes the cultured meat industry is self evidently focused on tackling the technical challenges that currently make it difficult to scale efficiently and cost-effectively, the big question comes down to one of timescale.
The sector might stumble into some really crippling technical blocks, or it might skip through them at an ever-faster pace.”
Professor Tom MacMillan
“Of course, you can extrapolate how fast this might happen based on the rate of innovation so far and expect these technologies to become commercially viable on a larger scale in the next decade or so.
$897bn
The estimated value of the global meat industry in 2021.
Statista 60
“But as this is about solving problems that are as yet unsolved, there’s obviously no guarantee. The sector might stumble into some really crippling technical blocks, or it might skip through them at an ever-faster pace,” he says He adds that it’s striking that some of the barriers and opportunities to scaling have had much more attention than others. “There’s a lot of focus on the science, and a bit on who might eat the stuff. But much less, as far as I can see, on supply chains. Where are the raw materials going to come from
so far. Perhaps that’s because the answer seems that it’s so obviously a threat. But the reality is likely to be more varied. Some livestock farmers will face direct competition, but others might find it complementary,” he says. “Other farmers may grow ingredients or feedstock for this new market. There’s also long been a school of thought, especially in the Netherlands, that you could even see on-farm craft- scale production. We’re looking into all of that, working with the industry, farmers, investors, NGOs and policymakers,” he further notes.
Uncertain times ahead
One particular strand of work the RAU is currently undertaking is mapping the ingredients currently used in cultured meat production and looking for agricultural alternatives. Macroeconomically, however, the one major issue that’s unlikely to go away – and highlighted by MacMillan – will be the integrity of supply chains once production can be scaled-up commercially.
The hangover from, and possible re-emergence of, the Covid-19 pandemic that saw global supply chains come under stress hasn’t gone away. And with the ongoing war in Ukraine, it’s unlikely to anytime soon. Factor in future possible ‘black swan’ events and the optimism about getting alternative meat products to market efficiently, may yet prove to be misplaced – even if the research progresses on a (relatively) smooth path.
Indeed, despite the growing awareness of the impact of the meat industry, that market continues to grow and is still not meeting the volume in demand. In an era of growing food insecurity and increased concerns for animal welfare, alternative proteins can provide viable alternative solutions. Now it’s up to industry to advance this via research, as well as seize the PR initiative. ●
Ingredients Insight /
www.ingredients-insight.com
Mosa Meat
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