What is in-vitro meat?

In science, ‘in vitro’ is used to describe processes that do not take place in a living organism, but in a test tube under controlled laboratory conditions. In contrast, processes that are described as ‘in-vivo’ take place in the living organism.

In-vitro meat is therefore meat that has not been produced by conventional animal husbandry, i.e. by rearing and slaughtering animals. Instead, in-vitro meat grows into a piece of meat in a bioreactor. More common terms for this type of meat are ‘lab-grown meat’ or ‘cultured meat’. The phrase "cultured meat" is used particularly in everyday language and by the industry.

For the production of in-vitro meat, muscle cells are taken from animals and cultivated under controlled laboratory conditions. After many years of research, these animal cells can now be grown in a culture medium. This produces muscle tissue that is identical to conventional meat from livestock farming.

In-vitro meat tastes and smells exactly like the meat we already know. The texture and preparation also remain the same. Recipes can therefore be used in exactly the same way and the refrigeration and shelf life remain the same for in-vitro meat.

In-vitro meat offers the potential to reduce the environmental impact compared to conventional meat production. Current meat production generates very high greenhouse gas emissions and contributes significantly towards climate change. Land and water consumption is also considerable, both through the cultivation of animal feed in monocultures and through animal husbandry itself.

The alternative cultivation method of in-vitro meat can reduce the need for land and water by reducing animal husbandry and the need for feed. As a result, greenhouse gas emissions caused by meat production could also fall.

However, the cultivation of in-vitro meat is energy-intensive. Sterile laboratory conditions are required in order to ensure there are no germs in the cultivated meat so it can be safely consumed afterwards. To achieve this, the appropriate buildings and facilities must be constructed and regularly inspected. The extent to which this production is ultimately more climate-friendly will mainly depend on the type of energy used. Renewable energies are necessary if production is to be climate-friendly on a large scale.

Actual data from conventional meat production is currently being compared with estimated values from in-vitro meat production. This is because there is no data available for the production of in-vitro meat on a large scale. However, it can be assumed that the energy requirement also depends on the animal species being cultivated. For example, in-vitro pork and chicken are said to be more energy-intensive than in-vitro beef.

In-vitro meat does not require factory farming. However, the killing of animals is still necessary at present, as the basis for in-vitro meat remains animal cell material. Such cattle, pigs, or chickens will therefore continue to be bred and kept. The stem cells required for in-vitro meat must be taken from living animals. Subsequently, more than a tonne of meat can be produced from one cell sample. This means that fewer animals need to be kept and an improvement in husbandry conditions can also be achieved.

It remains to be seen whether animal husbandry will actually be improved in favour of the animals and how painful cell removal is for living animals. Tests are also being carried out on animals in the current research phase.

Until now, the culture medium that promotes the growth of in-vitro meat has also been of animal origin. A suitable culture medium must contain important vitamins, proteins, and growth factors, among other things. So far, the best solution is the so-called foetal calf serum. The serum is obtained from the blood of calf foetuses, an unborn calf in the early stages of development. The foetus dies after the blood is drawn. This means that current in-vitro meat production practices are not free from animal suffering.

Alternative culture media are currently being researched. For example, fungi, yeasts, or algae could be used to produce suitable culture media. However, there is currently no suitable formulation that can be used for every cell type. The production of such a medium will also cost additional money and be energy-intensive.

The idea of in-vitro meat is not new. The artificial production of meat was already discussed in the 1930s. However, significant progress in the development of cultivation methods has only been made in recent years. Various products have been authorised, particularly in Singapore and the United States. However, it will be several years before the research meets European standards.

So far, in-vitro meat is not available on the German and European markets. There are individual companies and research institutions that have taken on the task of further development. There have already been various burger patty tastings around the world.Individual beef steaks with pronounced marbling were also tested. However, production has so far only been successful on a small scale and cannot yet be ramped up.

Many experts see great potential in the further development of in-vitro meat. Above all, in-vitro meat is highly rated as a sustainable alternative to conventional meat production.

In-vitro meat is a revolutionary technology with a lot of research potential. In the next few years, however, reduced meat consumption and a mix of conventional and organic animal husbandry will continue to be the top priorities when it comes to sustainability.

At present, it seems that it will take several years of research to bring the first products onto the market. These will then only be available in the luxury segment and upmarket catering establishments. In the near future, in-vitro meat will not yet be available in the refrigerated counters of our supermarkets, as research and production with permanent refrigeration is too expensive and cannot yet be carried out on a large scale.