Singapore becomes first country to approve sale of lab-grown meat

Source: Reuters

BUSINESS NEWS
DECEMBER 1, 2020 8:00 PM UPDATED 2 HOURS AGO

Singapore becomes first country to approve sale of lab-grown meat

By Anshuman Daga, Aradhana Aravindan
2 MIN READ

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Singapore has given U.S. 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, popularised by Beyond Meat Inc and Impossible Foods, increasingly feature on supermarket shelves and restaurant menus.

But so-called clean or cultured meat, which is grown from animal muscle cells in a lab, is still at a nascent stage given high production costs.

“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.

The firm said the meat will be sold as nuggets and had previously pegged their cost at $50 each.

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Read more: https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-eat-just-singapore/singapore-becomes-first-country-to-approve-sale-of-lab-grown-meat-idUKKBN28C06Q