The debate over what to call cell-cultured meat remains unresolved—and it could soon develop into a headache for the global lab-grown meat technology startups working to bring clean meat to consumers.
The window of opportunity to unify around a term for motherless meat is closing. If cultivated meat companies such as JUST, Memphis Meats, Aleph Farms, and Finless Foods want to present a consistent face before the first cell-based meat is unveiled to consumers, they’ll likely have to act in 2020. That’s when industry insiders speculate Singaporean food regulators will be the first in the world to approve serving in vitro meat.
“We have a golden—and short—opportunity to proactively inform public opinion about this game-changing method of meat production,” the non-profit Good Food Institute says on its website. “This is the time to align on an effective message and a compelling category name.”
Back in 2013, when the possibility of growing meat in a laboratory setting was first introduced in London (paywall), the term “lab-grown meat” dominated international headlines. The unveiling of a real product on the market will likely draw the same kind of attention—offering a rare second chance to make a first impression on consumers.
Read full, original article: Cultured or cell-based? The struggle to find the right name for lab-grown meat
