From cells to steaks: the rise of lab-grown meat

Cultured meat, grown from animal stem cells rather than slaughtered livestock, is moving from science fiction to an emerging food industry. This review synthesizes advances in cell sourcing, tissue engineering and regulatory oversight that together define the sector’s prospects. Starting from muscle satellite cells, mesenchymal stem cells or pluripotent stem cells, producers can generate muscle and fat tissues in vitro, supported by edible scaffolds and bioreactors. Companies have achieved up to 90 % reductions in media costs and scaled bioreactors beyond 50 L, although full industrial translation remains rare.

A central challenge is replicating the nutritional and sensory qualities of conventional meat while eliminating animal serum from culture media to improve safety and public perception. Biomaterial innovation—from plant polysaccharides to fungal mycelia—offers edible scaffolds with better texture, cooking stability and sustainability than animal-derived materials. Meanwhile, scale-up strategies such as seed trains, suspension cultures and microcarrier systems aim to reduce costs and standardize production.

Regulation and public trust will decide the pace of commercialization. Singapore pioneered market approval in 2020, the U.S. now uses a dual FDA–USDA model, and the EU treats cultured meat as a novel food requiring pre-market authorization. Labeling rules and genetic-modification policies vary widely, creating a patchwork of standards. Consumer acceptance also hinges on how products are described—“clean meat” and “cell-cultured” evoke more positive reactions than “lab-grown”—and on price parity with conventional meat.

Rather than just an alternative protein, cultured meat represents a test case for harmonizing cutting-edge biotechnology, transparent governance and shifting dietary norms to build a more ethical and resilient food system.