Josh Tetrick, CEO of the innovative start-up JUST, believes that cultured laboratory meat could be on the market by the end of 2018. This prediction is plausible, as research and development in the area of “Clean Meat” is currently undergoing rapid progress and is even being supported by the state.
As a producer of plant-based and environmentally friendly products, JUST is also involved in the development of Clean Meat. At a presentation at the Future Food Asia Awards, Tetrick commented on the current situation and said: “I would like to see Clean Meat available before the end of 2018. It will probably be introduced in a restaurant or food service outlet to begin with, and expand further from there.”
With regards to the retail trade, the introduction could take a little longer, according to Tetrick. “There will be regulatory problems, but there is great potential here too, especially for the first country which does it. Clean Meat is not only sustainable, it eliminates many of the food safety risks of traditional meat products, and it tastes just as good.”
Other companies in this sector, such as Future Meat and Memphis Meat, are also extremely positive about the current development and are seeing growing interest in Clean Meat. A recent Memphis Meat survey showed that approximately two thirds of all consumers surveyed would welcome laboratory meat and be willing to try it once it is on the market. In general, the market for clean meats is expected to grow rapidly in the coming years and reach a total volume of approximately 20 million US dollars by 2027.