SuperMeat today announces it is able to produce 100% cultivated chicken (85% muscle and 15% fat) at $11.79 per pound when produced at a large scale, matching the cost, taste, and texture of premium US pasture-raised chicken.
Additionally, the company claims it can produce three pounds of cultivated meat — equal to the amount of edible meat from one chicken — in around two days. In contrast, it takes 42 days to raise, slaughter, and process a chicken.
The company says that advancements in its proprietary production process have led to these breakthroughs, demonstrating that the scalability and viability of cultivated meat are possible.
“Current sentiment around cultivated meat includes skepticism regarding its scalability and market readiness, with concerns that cultivated meat may be more hype than a viable alternative,” Ido Savir, co-founder of SuperMeat states.
Milestones for an affordable and tasty product
In a new report and video released today, SuperMeat showcases its process and milestones for efficiently growing muscle and fat cells in large amounts at “unprecedented speed.” These high yields and reduced resources enable the company to produce an affordable and tasty cultivated chicken product when applied at large scale. As explained by SuperMeat, the key achievements are as follows:
Robust cell lines: SuperMeat says it has developed a robust cell line with high densities — 80 million cells per milliliter in 9 days — without genetic modifications, ensuring a consistent and efficient production cycle that enables high yields.
Animal-free cell feed: SuperMeat claims it has significantly reduced media costs to under $0.50/L by using animal-free alternatives. Cells independently produce essential growth factors after six days, leading to a cost-efficient process.
High speed and yields and cell differentiation: the Israeli biotech says it uses embryonic stem cells, enabling the production of both muscle and fat tissues directly from animal cells with increased cell weight. Fat is grown in 24 hours and muscle cells in 4 days, and the cells nearly double in size, reducing costs by approximately 50%. This high-yield production ensures that the cultivated chicken offers the same texture, taste, and nutrition as traditional meat while achieving cost efficiency at scale.
The process
As described by the biotech company, its production cycle starts with a 9-day cell growth phase to reach high cell densities. It is followed by a 45-day period where meat mass is harvested daily while the remaining cells continue to grow. The production cycle demonstrates significant efficiency, producing 66 pounds of cultivated chicken in a compact 10-liter bioreactor. Once the continuous process is established, it delivers three pounds of chicken meat in two days.
The process is projected to produce 6.7 million pounds of chicken annually, equivalent to 2.7 million chickens when scaled industrially. Moreover, under current production parameters, cultivating 1 kg (2.2 pounds) of chicken requires 80% less land than conventional chicken farming.
“Achieving this with traditional farming methods would demand vast resources, including extensive land and infrastructure for farming,” states the company.
Transparency, a path to market
Founded in 2015, SuperMeat aims to provide the highest quality chicken meat in a sustainable and animal-friendly process. The company, which reportedly awaits regulatory approval and has also received Kosher Certification, has a test kitchen called The Chicken, where people taste its cultivated chicken products.
“Our new report provides proof that with the right technology, there is a commercially viable path to market”
SuperMeat aims to raise awareness about the benefits of cultivated meat and a sustainable, animal-friendly food system by making its process transparent. A company survey shows that chefs (86%) are interested in serving cultivated meat; however, according to the Good Food Institute, 64% of US consumers are still unfamiliar with cultivated meat.
Savir adds, “Our new report provides proof that with the right technology, there is a commercially viable path to market. We see a tremendous opportunity for affordable cultivated chicken meat that supplies the same delicious taste and nutrition as premium chicken, which is a path for consumer and market acceptance and long-term adoption.”
