We examine the sustainability (and ethics) of this increasingly popular alternative.
What if the future of meat didn’t involve slaughterhouses, but instead relied on sleek facilities resembling craft breweries? Cultured meat — also known as lab-grown or cultivated meat — promises just that.
Made from real animal cells, it offers the taste and texture of conventional meat without the environmental and ethical baggage of traditional farming. Yet, behind its sci-fi appeal lies a surprisingly straightforward process that blends cutting-edge technology with a vision for a more sustainable food system. But how exactly is cultured meat made, and can it deliver on its ambitious promises?
To answer these questions, we turned to experts in the field for their insights on this groundbreaking innovation.
How is cultured meat made exactly?
Cultured meat is produced in a lab using animal cells. It’s often referred to as “lab-grown” or “synthetic” meat, but Amy Chen, the chief operating officer of Upside Foods, a company specializing in cultured meat, notes that these terms can be “misleading and confusing for consumers,” particularly when it comes to understanding the production process.
The phrase “cultured meat” might conjure images of scientists in crisp, white lab coats working over petri dishes, but Chen offers a different comparison: a beer brewery. At Upside Foods’ headquarters near San Francisco, the process takes place in cultivator tanks within a sleek, modern facility.
“Our building is located in the heart of a neighborhood, with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking a park, apartments, and restaurants,” she explains. “It’s a far cry from what you’d expect from a slaughterhouse.”
Ethically cultured meat aims to drastically reduce the number of animals killed compared to traditional livestock farming. However, some animals will still need to be raised to source cells for production. Although cultured meat eliminates the need for slaughter, the North American Vegetarian Society doesn’t classify it as vegetarian or vegan due to the use of those animal-derived cells. That said, the organization is considering introducing a new label to certify these products as “cruelty-free” or “slaughter-free.”
The process begins with sourcing animal cells, either through a biopsy from a living or recently deceased animal or by isolating them from a fertilized egg. These cells are then placed in a nutrient-rich gel or liquid, known as growth media, which supports their multiplication. According to Chen, cultivating chicken using this method typically takes about two weeks, a sharp contrast to the nearly two months required by traditional methods.
In terms of taste, cultured meat reportedly mirrors conventional meat. Chen acknowledges that there are definitely some challenges with replicating texture, especially for products like beef, which requires intricate marbling.
However, Chen expressed more confidence in her company’s chicken. “I’m not sure anybody could tell the difference — even I couldn’t,” she says. “When I ate it, I thought, ‘This is simultaneously the most remarkable and unremarkable thing I’ve ever had,’ because it tastes exactly like chicken.”
Is cultured meat safe to eat?
Health officials have deemed cultured meat safe. In November 2022, the Food and Drug Administration granted its first-ever approval for cell-cultured meat produced by GOOD Meat and Upside Foods. This milestone was followed in June 2023 by the Department of Agriculture’s approval, allowing both companies to sell their products.
Beyond being safe, advocates like Chen highlight that these meats could help reduce the risk of disease outbreaks, such as bird flu and norovirus, by eliminating the need for conventional livestock farming that can often contribute to such threats.
However, despite its safety and potential public health benefits, some states have taken additional safety measures. South Dakota and South Carolina have advanced bills requiring cultured meats to be clearly labeled, while other states have banned lab-grown meat altogether. In May 2024, Florida joined Alabama, Arizona, and Tennessee in outlawing the production and sale of cultured meat. Proponents of these bans argue that lab-grown meat threatens traditional farming practices and rural economies.
“Florida is fighting back against the global elite’s plan to force the world to eat meat grown in a petri dish or bugs to achieve their authoritarian goals,” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said at the time. “We will save our beef.”
In response, Upside Foods filed a lawsuit against Florida, claiming the ban is unconstitutional and primarily intended to shield the cattle industry from competition.
Some experts believe these bans stem from misconceptions about cultured meat. “We as Americans have this really interesting attitude towards innovation. We simultaneously love it, and we’re scared of it,” says Chen.
Is synthetic meat really better for the environment (and your wallet)?
The answer isn’t as simple as a yes or no, but cultured meat does hold significant potential for addressing the environmental challenges of meat production. According to the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization, approximately 92.2 billion land animals are raised and slaughtered annually. This level of livestock farming comes with immense environmental costs, accounting for about 14.5% of global carbon emissions. Additionally, the meat industry generates massive amounts of waste and contributes to water pollution through nutrient runoff.
Advocates of cultured meat, including some leading nonprofits, believe it could dramatically reduce these impacts. Enakshi Ganguly, a communication specialist at the Good Food Institute, estimates that cultivated meat requires up to 90% less land than conventional beef production and could cut air pollution by as much as 94%.
“By utilizing advanced biotechnologies, cultivated meat decreases the risk of water pollution, promotes biodiversity conservation, and advances food security through supply chain diversification,” Ganguly told us in a statement. “Its streamlined process supports a cleaner, greener, and safer food system, contributing to global efforts to combat climate change and environmental degradation.”
However, the transition to cultured meat is not without challenges. A peer-reviewed study published in the ACS Food Science & Technology examined every phase of cultured meat production, from raw material extraction to final product. While the process shows promise in significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions and water usage, it still carries a sizable environmental impact. Specifically, the cell culturing phase, which requires precise regulation of temperature, pH, and oxygen levels, is highly energy-intensive.
“Achieving environmental sustainability will require substantial innovation, as producing the growth medium and operating bioprocessing facilities consume significant resources,” says Derrick Risner, one of the study’s co-authors.
The team also highlighted significant economic challenges. Since cultured meat production lacks large-scale infrastructure, its cost remains high, largely due to the expensive raw materials, energy requirements, and research investments. A 2021 analysis from consulting firm McKinley & Company found that, on average, the production cost of cultured meat ranges from $17 to $23 per pound, while conventional ground beef typically costs just under $5 per pound. This price gap presents a major obstacle to scaling production to meet demand, especially considering that 89% of Americans consume meat regularly, according to an Ipsos poll. These economic factors, coupled with the lack of established production infrastructure, could hinder efforts to make cultured meat both affordable and widely accessible in U.S. grocery stores.
Despite these hurdles, Chen remains optimistic about the future of the cultured meat industry. “The long-term potential of cultivated meat is what excites me most,” she says. “To be honest, this is a generational conversation — it’s not something that will revolutionize the world overnight, but decoupling meat from animals opens up entirely new possibilities for the future.”
