A survey by clean meat start-up, Memphis Meats, has revealed that 60% of consumers are open to trying clean meat. Clean meat is animal protein that is grown in a lab from a collection of cells taken from a Q-tip swab of a live animal.
“Two-thirds of people we and others have surveyed say they would try clean meat if it was at price parity with conventional products,” the Memphis Meats vice president of product and regulation, Eric Schulze, told Food Navigator U.S.A.
Similarly, data released in March predicted that 41% of Brits will eat lab-grown meat within the next decade. Of the group surveyed for the data, pescatarians and vegetarians were found to be the most open to trying clean meat. 59% of pescatarians and 51% of vegetarians believed this new form of producing meat will become mainstream within the next ten years.
The innovation and recent advancements of clean meat is peaking the curiosity of many conscious consumers. People are opening their minds to trying lab-grown animal products, as the production requires far fewer resources than conventional meat and does not require slaughtering an animal. Unlike other existing meat alternatives, clean meat is made from animal proteins, making it indistinguishable from meat that has been slaughtered. The only difference is how the meat got to the plate.
Memphis Meats’ CEO and co-founder, Uma Valeti, said that the company is working to develop its best possible product, not the fastest product. The company aims to retail its lab-grown meat products at an equitable price by 2021, the same year the company aims to launch lab-grown poultry.
Although Memphis Meats products are animal-based, the company assured that the labeling will not mislead consumers. Memphis Meats intends to practice transparency, and all labels will inform the consumer that their products are not made through the slaughter of animals.
Consumers are not the only ones to show interest in clean meat. Last month, CNN reported the FDA’s support of clean meat in the marketplace, as it could significantly reduce foodborne illness. Investors are also lending their financial support to various clean meat companies. Recently, a company developing lab-grown salmon raised $3.5 million, and leading US meat producer, Tyson Foods, invested $2.2 million in an Israeli clean meat startup to help develop new ways to make protein. Tyson Foods has previously invested in Memphis Meats as well.
Image Credit: Memphis Meats
