Can lab-grown meat scale beyond novelty into global food systems?

What regulatory milestones have been achieved and why is lab-grown meat still scarce in 2025?

Cultivated meat, often called lab-grown or cell-based meat, is produced by culturing animal cells in bioreactors until they form muscle tissue. The process promises a humane and sustainable alternative to conventional livestock, requiring fewer animals, less land, and theoretically producing fewer greenhouse gas emissions. In June 2023, the U.S. Department of Agriculture approved the commercial sale of cultivated chicken from Upside Foods and Good Meat, a milestone many saw as the start of a food revolution. Exclusive restaurants in Singapore and the United States briefly introduced tasting portions to enthusiastic diners.

Yet nearly a year later, cultivated meat has barely moved beyond the tasting-menu stage. It remains absent from grocery shelves and even rare on restaurant menus. A FoodPrint investigation highlighted that supply is the main bottleneck. Upside Foods could only deliver 16 one-ounce portions of chicken per month to a Washington, D.C. restaurant before the dish was discontinued because production could not keep pace with customer demand. Good Meat’s restaurant partnerships faced similar limitations, exposing the gap between regulatory approval and commercial reality.

Meanwhile, political resistance has grown louder. Florida passed a law in March 2023 criminalizing the sale or development of lab-grown meat. Other states—including Alabama, Arizona, Tennessee, Montana, North Dakota and Wyoming—have passed bans or restrictions on labeling. This patchwork of regulation complicates expansion efforts and signals that the fight for market access may be as difficult as the science behind scaling production.

What technological and economic barriers are preventing cultivated meat from scaling?

Producing a few grams of cultured tissue for demonstration is one thing; manufacturing tons of consistent product is another. Upside Foods invested in a facility in Emeryville, California, claiming it could produce up to 50,000 pounds annually. In practice, however, production remains far below capacity. FoodPrint reported that much of the process still requires manual layering of cell sheets, while large bioreactors sit idle. Good Meat, rather than ramping up production, has shifted resources toward developing new cell lines to improve future scalability.

The technical challenges are severe. Cultivated meat requires costly growth media, tightly controlled sterile facilities, and bioreactors capable of sustaining large batches without contamination. Reproducing the complex texture of conventional meat, while maintaining taste and nutritional consistency, adds another layer of complexity.

Economics may prove an even greater hurdle. Today, cultivated meat is significantly more expensive than conventional chicken, beef, or pork. Even optimistic forecasts suggest it will take years before costs approach parity. Competition from plant-based alternatives like Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods makes the road harder. These products are already widely available, rapidly improving in taste and texture, and produced at scale. Without subsidies, policy support, or strong consumer willingness to pay a premium, cultivated meat companies may struggle to reach profitability.

How do consumers view cultivated meat and what are the environmental implications?

Public sentiment toward cultivated meat remains divided. A segment of consumers, especially younger demographics concerned about animal welfare and climate change, is eager to embrace it. Others remain hesitant, labeling it “unnatural” or distrusting the science. Opponents in some political circles have fueled resistance with rhetoric that frames lab-grown meat as unsafe or a threat to traditional farming culture.

For cultivated meat to gain traction, companies will need to mount sustained education campaigns, transparent labeling, and clear safety data to build consumer trust.

On the environmental front, studies suggest cultivated meat could dramatically reduce land and water use compared with industrial livestock farming. However, the climate benefits depend heavily on the production process. If facilities rely on fossil-based electricity and use unsustainable growth media, the carbon footprint could rival or even exceed conventional meat. Conversely, if production is powered by renewable energy and efficient media, cultivated meat could substantially cut emissions and resource use.

Where is investment flowing in cultivated meat and what do market prospects look like?

Despite scientific uncertainty, cultivated meat has attracted billions in venture capital over the past decade. Start-ups such as Upside Foods, Good Meat, Believer Meats, and Vow remain privately held but have drawn backing from major investors. Even traditional meat giants like Tyson Foods and Cargill have invested in cultured meat, a hedge against potential disruption to their core business.

That said, funding momentum has slowed in line with broader venture capital caution. Food and agriculture equities have yet to reflect any material exposure to cultivated meat, signaling that mainstream investors remain unconvinced. Analysts suggest that without tangible production milestones—measured in tons rather than tasting portions—the industry will struggle to justify lofty valuations.

The global meat market is worth an estimated US$1.4 trillion annually. If cultivated meat achieves even a modest foothold, the upside could be enormous. But failure to solve technical, regulatory, and consumer hurdles could leave plant-based alternatives and regenerative agriculture as the more immediate beneficiaries of sustainability-minded consumer spending.

What is the expert outlook on the road to mainstream adoption of lab-grown meat?

From a neutral journalistic perspective, cultivated meat faces a long road to becoming a staple protein source. Regulatory approval in 2023 was a groundbreaking step, but the hurdles that followed—limited supply, political bans, high costs, and consumer skepticism—show how far the industry remains from mass adoption. Experts cited by FoodPrint noted that restaurants were forced to stop serving cultivated chicken due to meager supply, and that facilities like Upside’s Emeryville plant are nowhere near their announced capacity.

State-level bans in Florida and beyond reflect not only legal barriers but cultural resistance to changing dietary norms. Combined with technological and economic barriers, these dynamics suggest that cultivated meat will not meaningfully replace industrial livestock in the next decade.

Still, dismissing it outright would be premature. The promise of cruelty-free protein with a lower environmental footprint is compelling, particularly as global demand for meat continues to rise. Cultivated meat could first establish itself in premium niches—luxury restaurants, eco-conscious markets, or as specialty ingredients—before slowly moving toward broader adoption. Cost reduction, renewable energy integration, and advances in cell-line development will be critical to determining whether cultivated meat remains a novelty or evolves into a mainstream food system component.

For now, consumers seeking to align diets with sustainability goals may find plant-based meat or simply reducing meat intake more practical. Policymakers, meanwhile, should focus on creating consistent frameworks that balance innovation with transparency, ensuring that cultivated meat can be fairly tested in the marketplace.