Food & Beverage Asia December/January 2024

ON THE TABLE
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towards commercialisation,
following Meatable’s recent
funding round of US$35m that
brought total funding to $95m.
REAL MEAT WITHOUT HARM
A vital aspect of this media tasting
sessions is further exposure to
the technology and what it can do
for the future of meat. Currently,
as cellular agriculture becomes
more commonplace, there are
invariably concerns with the finished
product being “over-processed”
or “not natural”.
To this, De Nood emphasised that
Meatable’s technology produces
real meat, and not derivatives:
“Our product consists of real fat and
muscle cells, just like you would find in
an animal. However, we know that the
idea of consuming cultivated meat still
requires further education in terms of
what it is, how we develop it and how
we can produce it without harming
animals, people or the planet. The
faster we launch, the faster we can
start that education to build consumer
acceptance and begin making an
impact with our harm-free meat.
“The way we make meat
is completely new and
the industry is only a
few years old. All our
research shows that
cultivated meat is safe.”
AN ARRAY OF
CHOICES
The past few years
has shown the
general public
new possibilities
when it comes
to consuming
protein. Beside
cellular agriculture,
plant-based meats
are also growing
increasingly popular
with a call for
sustainable eating
practices.
While animal protein still remains
dominant for now, technological
advancements will allow the
alternative protein industry to grow
alongside consumer acceptance
– a point echoed by De Nood:
“The future of protein appears
to be heading towards increased
sustainability. In the next few
years, we can expect growing
acceptance from consumers as the
alternative protein sector continues
to develop and improve scalability.
“Advancements in cultivated and
plant-based proteins will likely make
them more accessible, affordable,
and appealing to a broader audience
concerned about the environmental
and ethical implications of animal
farming. While animal farming will
continue to exist, the alternative
protein segment is poised to
expand significantly, becoming a
mainstream choice for consumers
seeking sustainable and ethical
protein sources, ultimately reshaping
the future of our food industry.”
To that end, the growing alternative
protein space is one of community,
not competition. With more choices
on the market, consumers can pick
and choose which form of protein
they prefer, from pea- or soy-based,
to 3D-printed and cultivated. For
consumers that yearn the familiar
sensorial experience of eating animal
protein, cultivated meat could be
the alternative choice for them.
Krijn de Nood, co-founder
and CEO of Meatable
“Our focus is on producing cultivated
meats that closely replicate the
taste and texture of traditional
animal-based meats. We aim to
do so affordably and at scale, to
make sure that cultivated meat
is widely available and we can
really make an impact. In the end,
we think that cultivated meat
can co-exist with plant-based
protein and traditional meat, to
offer consumers a wider range of
choices,” concluded De Nood. FBA