From petri dish to plate
14 August 2024
Poland has thrown its support behind its first and only lab-grown meat producer, LabFarm, with a €2 million state grant. This funding will help the company expand research, boost production capacity, and optimise bioprocesses.
Lab-grown meat is gaining traction across the EU. The Netherlands hosted its first tasting event, and the UK plans to introduce lab-grown pet food samples later this year.
So, what exactly is lab-grown meat? In short, it is meat cultivated from animal stem cells, which are extracted from the muscle tissue, and falls under the umbrella of cellular agriculture. It is supposed to taste the same or very close to real meat. Over the years, there has been an explosion of investment in cellular agriculture with the goal of making these products accessible and affordable to a broader audience.
Countries across the EU are pouring resources into this innovative field and want to bring these sustainable alternatives to the market as soon as possible. But not everyone is eager to try a lab-grown burger. Often called "Franken-meat", the reluctance comes from countries like Italy, Austria, and France which are opposed to this alternative and argue that lab-grown meat threatens traditional food production. Italy imposed a ban last year, albeit of little effect for now. Czechia, Cyprus, Greece, Hungary, Luxembourg, Lithuania, Malta, Romania, and Slovakia also support the call for a ban on production.
 | Miroslawa van der Boom Will cultured meat succeed in the next few years? That remains to be seen. Because cultured meat is a novel food, lab-grown meat developers must meet the stringent requirements of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) before it hits the market on a large scale. As the world’s population grows and demand for meat increases, the effects of industrial agriculture are becoming more significant and visible. It will continue to have a major environmental impact and high methane emissions. A study by CE Delft shows that growing meat from cells could reduce climate impact by 92%, cut air pollution by 94% and use 90% less land. |
Welcome to The European Correspondent
Europe lacks true European media: in Germany alone, there are more media devoted exclusively to football than news outlets specialising on Europe. The established players mainly focus on Brussels and European institutions. The European Correspondent aims to change that. We cover the whole of Europe and write for a community of citizens who want to look beyond their own national borders. Without European journalism, there is no European civil society.
〉Read our manifesto
〉The stories we would like to write for you
Become a donor!
The European Correspondent is fully funded by its readers. We can only produce the newsletter with your support - and work towards the bigger project: building true European media. Donate now!
With your help, we can create true European journalism. Thank you!
We are non-profit. Every donated € goes directly into The European Correspondent.