Lab Grown Meat: Our Sustainable Future?
Lab grown meat is taking the world by storm! Whether it's for food security, sustainability or animal rights, lab grown meat is a great alternative for the future.
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Author: Rebecca SE Tan
What does the Covid pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine crisis and the chicken supply disruption in Malaysia have in common? They all affect our food imports in Singapore! As a little red dot, we face vulnerabilities from disruptions to the global supply chain, rising food and transportation costs, and import challenges. Perhaps, though, we could see these challenges in a new light – an opportunity to deep dive into the future of lab grown meat.
Indeed, Singapore is already a forerunner in championing lab grown meat. By 2023, we will have built Asia’s largest cultured meat plant! This 30,000-square-foot plant will house the world’s largest cultured meat bioreactor and will be able to produce tens of thousands of pounds of meat.
But what’s so good about lab grown meat?
Lab grown meat provides Singapore with food security. Currently, Singapore imports over 90% of our food from more than 160 countries. While impressive, we have upped our ante – making the ambitious target to produce 30% of our nutrition domestically by 2030. With barely any agricultural land, lab grown meat is an incredibly attractive method, as it reduces 99% of land required to produce meat!
In addition, Singapore has always been committed to keeping our city green. In line with our Singapore Green Plan, lab grown meat is an efficient way to reduce our eco-footprint, as it can save up to 96% of emissions and water!
And of course, for all the animal lovers out there, lab grown meat also presents a guilt-free alternative to eat to your heart's content! It removes the need for animal rearing and slaughterhouses as it is grown from animal cells in the laboratory. These cells are obtained from animals through a harmless biopsy.
What I love most about lab grown meat is that it shows us that sustainability and economic profit can be one and the same. The meat alternatives market, which consists of plant-based meats and lab grown meats, is estimated to hit $140bn within the next decade – that’s equivalent to 10% of the entire meat industry! By leading the charge into sustainability, Singapore is also opening ourselves for ample opportunities for Asia and the world.
Are there any obstacles we need to overcome?
Of course, the technology is not yet perfect. In terms of cost, many products are still far from being commercially viable. For example, Shiok Meats’ shrimp paste costs a whopping US$5000 per kilogram! While more needs to be done to bring down these costs, Singapore is already taking steps to pave the way for commercialisation.
Another obstacle is finding replacements for the growth medium to nourish lab grown cells. Currently, the most commonly used medium is the fetal bouvine serum (FBS) because it can be used for nearly any cell type. However, the FBS is extracted from aborted calves, which means that there may still be the concern of animal suffering. While about 74 alternatives have been found, they are often only viable for specific cell types. Other scientists have also developed a form of genetically engineered yeast to produce the necessary proteins for the animal cells, though mass production is still an important obstacle to overcome.
Lastly, the environmental benefits of lab grown meat is not entirely agreed upon by scientists, as it depends on the differing assumptions used for the climatic models. For example, the net benefit depends on factors such as whether the electricity used is primarily generated from fossil fuels or renewable energy, if it accounts for the lower land use of lab grown meat, and if the production and supply chain is managed sustainably.
While the technology for lab grown meat still needs to be greatly refined, it definitely provides the potential for a sustainable future.
So, where can I get my hands on this yummy food?
Well, you already can! Did you know that in 2020, Singapore Food Agency became the world’s first regulatory authority to approve lab grown meat? Since then, Eat Just has been selling their delicious, cultured chicken under the brand GOOD Meat, both in a restaurant and a hawker stall.
Other companies in Singapore are also experimenting with different kinds of meat! For example, Avant Meats and UmamiMeats are developing cultured fish, while Shiok Meats has unveiled their lab grown crab, shrimp, and lobster! Their creative dishes such as Crab Cake, Tom Yum Soup and Lobster Potato Chips may become commercially viable in the future! Indeed, Singapore has even set up a Future Ready Food Safety Hub to help companies with the approval process to get their foods onto our plates.
Interestingly, it seems that Singapore is a great place to pioneer this project. A study by Singapore Management University (SMU) finds that Singaporeans are generally more accepting of lab grown meat because of our “kiasu-ism” – a desire to project an image of being quick to experience new and novel things.
Let's trailblaze our way into the future!
To read up more about Lab Grown Meat, do check out our latest BBC Earth issue (Volume 14 Issue 4) from pages 44-53.
Topic: Science
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