Israeli food-tech company Future Meat has opened what it claims is the first industrial cell-cultured meat facility in the world. It will produce 500 kilograms of cultured meat per day, equivalent to 5000 hamburgers.
The facility is currently able to produce cultured chicken, lamb, and pork, with beef to be added soon. The cell-cultured meat can be produced 20 times faster than conventional meat and generates 80% fewer greenhouse emissions. It also uses 99% less land and 96% less freshwater than traditional meat production.
Following the opening of the facility, Future Meat is targeting the US market. It aims to reach shelves at US retailers by the end of next year, and is already in the process of approving the production facility with various regulatory agencies. The company’s expansion has been made possible by the completion of several successful funding rounds over the past few years.
Future Meat says its goal is to “make cultured meat affordable for everyone”. The company made headlines in February when it created a quarter of a pound of cultured chicken for $7.50, a price reduction of 1000 times. A recent study suggested that cell-cultured meat was likely to make up 40% of meat consumption in the future.
“This facility opening marks a huge step in Future Meat Technologies’ path to market, serving as a critical enabler to bring our products to shelves by 2022,” says Rom Kshuk, CEO of Future Meat Technologies. “Having a running industrial line accelerates key processes such as regulation and product development.”