Meaty Matters
By Phyllis Ho
A meatless future could be closer than we think. Cultured meat refers to meat grown in labs using animal cells.[1] Faux meat is wholly derived from plant-based sources, some of which can also be lab-cultured. While faux meat is not new, more faux meat start-ups are using modern technology to replicate the qualities of real meat, thereby making it more appealing to non-vegetarians.
The mass production of cultured meat is increasingly commercially viable. From 2013 to 2017, producing cultured meat became 30,000 times cheaper, with 5 ounces of meat costing just US$11.36 to produce. Beyond start-ups, meat giants are looking into industrialising cultured meat production — Food manufacturer Hampton Creek claimed that there were ongoing talks with 10 meat giants to license out Hampton’s cultured meat technology.[2] Tyson Foods has also invested in two cultured meat start-ups.
Demand for cultured meat is rising. This could be partly due to the growing global demand for meat.[3] In a deliberate attempt to shift consumption patterns, China has inked a US$300 million deal to import cultured meat, and aims to halve real meat consumption by 2030. Faux meat has also become cheaper and more popular. Start-up Impossible Foods began serving US$2 patties in 140 locations across three US states in April this year. Food giants Tyson and Cargill have channelled more funds to plant-based protein.
As awareness of synthetic biology grows, unease around cultured meat production could be managed via education and better awareness of production processes. A Japanese non-profit, the Shojinmeat Project, provided high-tech boxes to Japanese teens to culture cells into meat-like products at home.
The disruption of conventional meat production has and will have significant knock-on effects. Countries dependent on meat exports are feeling the heat. Acting PM Winston Peters recently criticised Air New Zealand for including faux meat in its menu as a “slap in the face” given New Zealand’s US$6 billion red meat sector. Regulators are caught unprepared as lobby groups seek to impose restrictions on “new” meats in an effort to curtail R&D. In February 2018, the US Cattlemen’s Association petitioned the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) to ban these “new” meat start-ups from using meat-like terms in food labels. However, faux meat start-ups argued that any product that functions as meat deserves the label. The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association also called for “new” meat start-ups’ products to be classified as meat and subjected to USDA regulations.
Consumers may be on the losing end; they may be misled by food labels and packaging. In April 2018, France imposed a fine on the use of meat-like terms in the packaging of vegetarian food. Consumers with religious or ethical considerations could also require more details about the meats’ source and production process, but at present such guidance is still uncertain. In India, some Hindus support cultured beef as it precludes slaughter, while Hindu nationalists bar beef consumption in any form. Islamic communities and authorities in South East Asia have not released statements, but a 2017 journal article co-authored by Malaysia’s Islamic scholars declared cultured meat halal as long as the stem cell was derived from an animal slaughtered as stipulated in Islamic doctrine.[4]
It is uncertain whether cultured meat poses long-term health risks and studies that prove so may reverse cultured and faux meat fortunes. Given the size of the global halal industry, acceptance of cultured meat as halal will significantly impact market share and public consumption patterns. The impact on the halal meat production industry would also be significant. For the wider public, it is also uncertain whether demand for cultured and faux meat will eclipse real meat. As of 2017, only 31% of Singaporeans surveyed were keen on consuming cultured meat.
In a plausible future…
Singapore leverages tissue engineering capabilities to produce cultured meat for domestic consumption and export. This enhances the health of the population due to the ability to alter the cells’ fat-to-protein ratios and remove carcinogenic heme iron in a sterile environment. As cultured and faux meats gain public acceptance, consumers also purchase “raw cells” best-suited to their taste and health preferences, and grow their own “meat” at home. Food wastage is significantly reduced since people will be able to produce only what they need. However, legal battles emerge between cultured meat producers and consumers as the latter demand compensation for health problems that arise from product quality and/or consumers’ improper handling of home-grown meats. Other disputes occur due to consumers’ inability to adhere to dietary restrictions due to poor and misleading food labels.
[1] Cultured meat is non-GMO insofar as its derivative cells have not been modified, and had come from an animal that consumed non-GMO feed.
[2] Although Hampton Creek only puts up vegan products, it ventured into cultured meat technology as cultured meat could be potentially accepted by consumers who adopt veganism on the grounds of animal cruelty.
[3] Based on 2012 estimates by the Food and Agriculture Organisation, global meat consumption will increase 0.75% per annum till 2050.
[4] Hamdan, Mohammad Naqib, Mark J. Post, Mohd Anuar Ramli, and Amin Rukaini Mustafa. “Cultured Meat in Islamic Perspective.” Journal of Religion and Health, April 29, 2017. doi:10.1007/s10943–017–0403–3
Phyllis Ho was Research Assistant at the Centre for Strategic Futures.
The views expressed in this blog are those of the authors and do not reflect the official position of Centre for Strategic Futures or any agency of the Government of Singapore.
