In response to rumours circulating that Nestlé is to enter the cell cultivated meat category, as reported yesterday by Bloomberg et al; vegconomist today contacted the Nestlé head office in Switzerland and it has been confirmed that Nestlé Research in Lausanne is currently working with Future Meat Technologies in Israel, as well as several other startups as yet undisclosed.
Last month, Future Meat opened what it claimed to be the first industrial level cell-cultured meat facility in the world, which will produce 500 kilograms of cultured meat per day, equivalent to 5000 hamburgers, targeted at the US market and with the intention of reaching US retail by end 2022.
The facility is currently able to produce cultured chicken, lamb, and pork, with beef to follow. It can be assumed that since Nestlé have stated that the partnership is already operational, that this development was created and launched with the assistance of Nestlé funds.
Reinhard Behringer, Head of the Nestlé Institute of Material Sciences at Nestlé Research says: “For many years we have been investing in our protein expertise and the development of proprietary technologies for plant-based meat alternatives, allowing us to continuously expand our wide range of tasty and nutritious products with a lower environmental impact. To complement these efforts, we’re also exploring technologies that could lead to animal-friendly alternatives that are nutritious, sustainable, and close to meat in terms of taste, flavor, and texture. We are excited to understand their potential.”
