ISRAEL, Jerusalem. An Israeli company wants to offer chicken breast from the laboratory at a price no higher than the original.
In vitro meat at affordable prices may be within reach. Jerusalem-based Future Meat Technologies says it has developed a process that can produce a chicken breast in the lab for the equivalent of about 6.70 €. The team led by bioengineer Prof. Yaakov Nahmias believes that costs can be reduced even further in the future.
In addition, Future Meat Technologies promises that 80% fewer greenhouse gas emissions would be released during production compared to conventional meat production and that only one percent of the land would be used because of the technical process. For the same amount of laboratory meat with the same nutritional value as poultry from a fattening farm, 96% less water is also required, according to the company.
The company also emphasizes that the cell cultures are propagated entirely without genetic engineering. This also applies to the nutrient media, so that the entire process takes place without genetically modified organisms (GMOs). The method is not limited to poultry, but can also be carried out with the cells of other farm animals. According to CEO Rom Kshuk, the laboratory process will be tested on a large scale in a pilot plant under practical conditions before the end of the year.