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Singapore made history in 2020 as the first country to approve the sale of a cultured meat product. (Chicken nuggets by US firm Eat Just)

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Episode 104: Trevor Williams of the Farm Traveler Podcast

Trevor Williams is a former high school agriscience teacher turned podcaster that started the FarmTraveler podcast in 2019.  Farm Traveler has one goal, that being to connect consumers with farmers, ranchers, and entrepreneurs in the agriculture industry.  Trevor has published over 150 podcast episodes, educational videos, and Farm Tours on the Farm Traveler Youtube channel, and produces two other agriculture-focused podcasts. Subscribe to the Farm Traveler Podcast at https://thefarmtraveler.com/ Listen to Alex's episode on the Farm Traveler Podcast at https://thefarmtraveler.com/2022/04/13/ep-145-what-is-cultured-meat/

46:49

June 09, 2022

Episode 103: Michele Simon

As a public health attorney, food policy expert, author, and thought leader, Michele uses her passionate and fearless voice to advocate for a better food system through her writing, media appearances, and consulting. Michele’s extensive writings on the politics of food and alcohol led to the publication of her first book in 2006, Appetite for Profit: How the Food Industry Undermines Our Health and How to Fight Back. NYU Professor Marion Nestle described it as “brilliant.” Michele founded the Plant Based Foods Association in 2016. As Executive Director of the nation’s only membership association to promote the interests of plant-based food companies, she grew the organization to over 300 members and led a team of policy and retail experts. Her leadership and strategic efforts enabled PBFA to fight the powerful meat and dairy lobbies, while forging new marketplace opportunities for the industry. Michele currently runs her own strategy consulting business, where she offers advice on policy, media relations, investing, and coaching for women. Michele Simon is admitted to practice law in California, has a master’s degree in public health from Yale University and received her law degree from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law. We cover a lot of diverse topics and I will be first to admit that it was very interesting to understand certain viewpoints as it comes to reducing animals in the food system, restaurants offering vegan options (and whether that’s a good thing), and taking a closer look at reporting that’s out there in the industry now.

01:02:43

May 01, 2022

Tim Olsen of Merck, KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany

Thanks for tuning in to the Cultured Meat and Future Food Podcast. On this episode we are exciting to have Tim Olsen of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany. Tim joined Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany in 2020 as Head of Commercial for the Cultured Meat program. His goal is to commercialize technologies that enable large scale cost effective and sustainable production of cultured meat and seafood products. Previously, Tim directed laboratory operations and led the development of bioinks at Allevi, a 3D bioprinting company. Tim then held the Senior Scientist position on the Process and Product Development team at RoosterBio, a regenerative medicine company focused on fueling the rapid commercialization of scalable human mesenchymal stem cell (hMSC) and exosome manufacturing technologies. His skillsets include stem cell culture optimization, media development, and scaling manufacturing in bioreactor systems. Tim then transitioned into commercial operations at RoosterBio as the Northeast USA and Europe Account Manager to leverage his technical skillset to focus on bringing solutions to the customers who were working on bringing regenerative medicine products to the clinic and the market. Tim received a Ph.D. in Bioengineering from Clemson University (2015) and sits on the External Advisory Board for the Department of Biomedical Engineering at The College of New Jersey, his undergraduate alma mater.

36:47

February 22, 2022

Dr. Aletta Schnitzler of TurtleTree

Dr. Aletta Schnitzler is the Chief Scientific Officer at Turtle Tree. Previously, Aletta held various roles at Merck KGaA across Cell Therapy Bioprocessing and Cultured Meat R&D and Strategy. Aletta received her Ph.D. in 2007 from Boston University School of Medicine in the fields of immunology and neuroscience, focusing on trophic factors that influence immune cell activation, as well as neural differentiation and maintenance of phenotype. Learn more about TurtleTree: https://turtletree.com/

29:06

January 14, 2022

Tobias Messmer of Mosa Meat

Tobias Messmer is a Jr Scientist in the Stemness & Isolation team at Mosa Meat and a PhD student at Maastricht University. After completing his B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Molecular Biotechnology at Heidelberg University, and internships at Cambridge University and Harvard University, Tobias’ current work focuses on molecular characterization of muscle cells during the proliferation and differentiation stages of cultivating beef. In 2020, Tobias has co-founded the Cellular Agriculture Online Symposium (CAOS) - an online platform to facilitate scientific exchange in the Cell-Ag space. Read the Blog Post: https://mosameat.com/blog/cultivating-beef-without-fetal-bovine-serum View the Publication: https://www.nature.com/articles/s43016-021-00419-1

25:02

January 13, 2022

Jamie Harris of Animal Advocacy Careers

Jamie has a History degree from Oxford University and a Postgraduate Certificate in Education from Nottingham University. Dedicated to reducing animal suffering, he has volunteered for a variety of effective animal advocacy organizations, including Faunalytics, The Humane League and the Good Food Institute. He is also working to grow the effective altruism movement by managing the local group Effective Animal Altruism London.

28:41

January 13, 2022

Nick Cooney founded and serves as Managing Partner at Lever VC, an early-stage venture capital fund focused on alternative protein startups. The alternative protein sector includes both plant-based meat and dairy companies (Nick’s past investments in this space include Beyond Meat, Miyoko’s Kitchen, Sunfed Meats, and Good Catch Foods) as well as cultivated meat companies (Nick’s investments in this space include Memphis Meats, Aleph Farms, and Avant Meats). Through Lever VC and his prior fund, Nick has invested in several dozen alternative protein companies globally, with a combined net value of over $7+ billion USD.

33:47

January 05, 2022

Joe Fassler of The Counter

Joe Fassler's piece "Lab-grown meat is supposed to be inevitable. The science tells a different story." brought new discussions to the cultured meat industry. Joe Fassler is deputy editor of The Counter, a nonprofit newsroom covering the business, politics, and culture of American food. Twice a finalist for a James Beard Media Award, his food journalism has been anthologized in The Best American Food Writing and appeared in publications like TheAtlantic.com, The Guardian, and Smithsonian.

30:46

December 09, 2021

Josh Balk of the HSUS returns to the Future Food Show

Josh Balk is the Vice President of Farm Animal Protection at the Humane Society of the U.S. In addition, he is the cofounder of Hampton Creek, now Eat Just Inc, a food technology company famous for producing the Just Egg product. Prior to working with HSUS, Josh is known for his work at Compassion Over Killing. He has been an advocate for animals for almost 20 years. This is Josh's second episode on the future food show, where we dig a little bit deeper into the great work that he and his team are accomplishing and the future of food.

40:14

November 27, 2021

John Sanbonmatsu of CleanMeat-Hoax.com

John Sanbonmatsu is Associate Professor of Philosophy at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts, where he teaches ethics, political theory, and the philosophy of technology.  He is author of the book, The Postmodern Prince:  Critical Theory, Left Strategy, and the Making of a New Political Subject, editor of the book, Critical Theory and Animal Liberation, and is the creator and curator of the www.CleanMeat-Hoax.com website.  His new book, The Omnivore's Deception:  What We Get Wrong about Meat, Animals, and the Nature of Moral Life, is expected to be released at the end of 2022.

36:04

November 16, 2021

Michelle Egger of BIOMILQ

As a passionate food scientist, Michelle looks to combat global food security and malnutrition in everything she does. She has expertise in dairy fermentation, formulation, and processing and is thrilled to ditch the cows for humans. Inspired by upstream solutions for infant nutrition at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, she became obsessed with advancing human nutrition through better infant feeding options. Michelle seeks to harness the capacity to drive environmental and social change through creative food solutions with a consumer-first design. Her entrepreneurial expertise in social impact and sustainable business models drives her commitment to seeking mission-aligned partners.

30:42

October 20, 2021

Anita Broellochs of Balletic Foods

Anita Broellochs is a mission-driven entrepreneur and the Founder and CEO of Balletic Foods (Balletic, Inc.), a cellular agriculture startup focused on creating high performance protein. Anita is also the inspiration behind SVCMS, the organization behind the Cultured Meat Symposium, and this very podcast. Anita has a background in Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering and she has previously worked on developing optical clearing techniques of skeletal muscle for multi-photon microscopy for medical purposes at the University of Erlangen-Nuernberg, in Germany. Learn more about Balletic Foods at www.balleticfoods.com

22:37

September 28, 2021

Reducetarian Foundation, Brian Kateman

Brian Kateman is the lead producer of Meat Me Halfway, a documentary about finding common ground at the dinner table. He is cofounder and president of the Reducetarian Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to reducing consumption of meat, eggs, and dairy to create a healthy, sustainable, and compassionate world. Learn more about the Reducetarian Foundation: https://www.reducetarian.org/ Learn more about Meat Me Halfway (Documentary): https://www.meatmehalfway.org/

25:59

August 30, 2021

This episode is sponsored by the Black & Veatch NextGen Ag Team. Learn more about Black and Veatch at https://www.bv.com Simon, head of business at MeaTech, grew up around restaurants, has business experience including food retail, FMCG, distilleries and 3D printing. Combined with his academic background in risk, behavioral economics, and behavior change, he’s excited to be playing a part in the cultivated meat mission.

24:02

August 20, 2021

The Cocoa Concept, Linda Lilly

The Cultured Meat Symposium (CMS21) is taking place this October 22-23, 2021 in Downtown San Francisco. Learn more and register for the event at https://www.cms21.io. Linda Lilly is the Director and Founder of The Cocoa Concept. She grew up in the south of Germany, studied Film and Literature in Munich and Vancouver before moving to London to work for Sony Pictures. After changing her take on nutrition and fitness in 2018, Linda went through a physical and emotional transformation herself that led her to not only lose over 20kg but also to spend more and more time researching products that will benefit her mind and body. In 2020 she founded her own company The Cocoa Concept with the purpose to introduce the benefits of Cocoa Husk Tea to the UK market. Whilst still working full time at Sony Pictures she realized that there is an opportunity, people like her who want to lead a healthy lifestyle who want to enjoy themselves without feeling guilty need to know about this product. She constantly tries to challenge herself, practice mindfulness and set positive affirmations to achieve her goals. Linda is currently a candidate at the NatWest Entrepreneur Accelerator Program. The Cocoa Concept wants to underline the importance of what we are putting into our bodies – they create a pure product with a natural chocolatey sensation, no dairy, no artificial sweeteners, no sugars, or additives. Their first product is called Cocoa Husk Tea, which is made from the outer shell of the cacao bean. Cocoa Husk is a by-product in the chocolate making process that would otherwise go to waste. That's where The Cocoa Concept comes in and uses it to create a unique and healthy way to enjoy a calorie-free hot chocolate suitable for everyone – no matter whether you are vegan, dairy free or want to cut down your sugar intake. The Cocoa Concept was born to support people in leading a healthy lifestyle, elevate their fitness journey and promote mindful moments.  You can buy their product directly on their website or find it in cafes and health stores across London. They’ve recently been featured in Vogue Magazine as “the latest tea trend”. Learn more about The Cocoa Concept here: https://www.thecocoaconcept.com/

25:36

August 16, 2021

Catching up with The Better Meat Co. and Paul Shapiro

We’re excited to have Paul Shapiro back on the show. This will be his second episode on the Cultured Meat and Future Food Podcast. Paul Shapiro is the author of the national bestseller Clean Meat: How Growing Meat Without Animals Will Revolutionize Dinner and the World, the CEO of The Better Meat Co., a four-time TEDx speaker, and the host of the Business for Good Podcast. Learn more about the book: https://cleanmeat.com/ Learn more about the Business For Good Podcast: https://www.businessforgoodpodcast.com/ Learn more about The Better Meat Co.: https://www.bettermeat.co/

43:47

July 31, 2021

Cellular Agriculture Australia, Bianca Le

The Cultured Meat Symposium 2021 (CMS21) is taking place this October 22-23, 2021 in person. Learn more and register at https://cms21.io Dr Bianca Le is a cell biologist and Honorary Fellow in Agriculture and Food at the University of Melbourne. Bianca completed her PhD at the Biomedicine Discovery Institute at Monash University and is currently the Director of Cellular Agriculture Australia, a nonprofit dedicated to promoting and accelerating R&D in the cellular agriculture industry. When Bianca’s not doing science, she talks and writes about it. She is an experienced science communicator and has contributed to various national policy projects spanning diversity in STEM workplaces, waste management, and science diplomacy at the Academy of Technology and Engineering. Earlier this year, Bianca was one of the 60 STEM experts in Australia selected to be a part of 'Superstars of STEM', a nationally funded program to elevate the public profile of prominent women in STEM.

36:17

July 16, 2021

Vow, Marie Gibbons and Soroush Pour

The Cultured Meat Symposium 2021 is taking place in San Francisco on October 22-23, 2021. Learn more and register at https://cms21.io Marie Gibbons is a well known name in the industry. She recently moved to Sydney from Berkeley, CA to join Vow as a research scientist As a passionate animal lover and veterinary student-turned-cultured meat researcher, she joined the cellular agriculture field in 2016 in hopes of removing animals from food production. She was granted research fellowships with both New Harvest and the Good Food Institute and spent her graduate studies focusing on large scale cultured poultry production at North Carolina State University and Harvard Medical School. Upon graduation, Marie joined Memphis Meats, now Upside Foods, as the founder of their media development department. There, she spent over 2 years developing scalable, edible, animal component free media for multiple species and cell types. She now works with Vow's incredible team of scientific researchers, engineers, robots, and office dogs to create delicious and exotic cultured meat products using automated, high-throughput platform technology. Also joining us on the show is Soroush Pour. Soroush joined Vow as Head of Engineering in February 2020. He founded, built and exited his first software company while an undergrad at Duke University as a fully funded Robertson Scholar. He was one of the first engineers and later engineering managers at San Francisco FinTech API company Plaid as it grew from 15 to 170 people, now worth over $13B. Before joining Vow, Soroush worked as a consultant in the alternative protein industry, doing independent research as well as consulting work supporting multiple alternative protein organizations. His goal is to bring about a food system that can feed billions while protecting the beautiful blue planet we all depend on. At Vow, he and his team create intuitive software and high-throughput robotics to make cultured meat lab R&D drastically faster and less manual than it otherwise would be.

43:28

July 12, 2021

David Kay of Upside Foods

The Cultured Meat Symposium 2021 is taking place in San Francisco this October 22-23, 2021. Learn more at https://cms21.io. David Kay is the Director of Communications and first employee at UPSIDE Foods. David leads the company's communications and public relations strategies, and helps develop and execute the company’s policy strategies. David played a key role in initiating the founding of AMPS Innovation, the trade coalition for the cultured meat, poultry and seafood industry in the US. David has spoken at or been interviewed in The Atlantic, Vice, The Chicago Tribune, Quartz and SXSW, and has given the keynote address at the Cultured Meat Symposium, Cell Agri, and the Food Innovation Summit.   Prior to joining UPSIDE Foods, David studied political science at Stanford University and worked with a variety of non-profits to encourage more sustainable eating practices.

28:14

July 02, 2021

Doug Dresslaer of Dairy Farmers of America

This episode is sponsored by the Black & Veatch NextGen Ag Team. Learn more about Black and Veatch at www.bv.com. Doug Dresslaer is the Director of Cultural Innovation for Dairy Farmers of America.  Doug works with DFA farmer members and employees to foster a culture of innovation within the Cooperative to help keep DFA at the forefront of emerging technologies and trends in the industry.  Prior to joining DFA in 2019, Doug worked with the cooperative as managing director of the T-Mobile and DFA Accelerator program working with startups to help build partnerships between small businesses and T-Mobile and DFA.

15:31

June 24, 2021

Matt Gibson of New Culture

This episode is sponsored by the Black & Veatch NextGen Ag Team. Learn more about Black and Veatch at https://www.bv.com Matt grew up in New Zealand. He studied microbiology and genetics at the University of Auckland before co-founding New Culture, a venture-backed cell ag startup based in the Bay Area that is making cow cheese without the cow.

25:36

June 01, 2021

Larissa Zimberoff, Author of Technically Food: Inside Silicon Valley's Mission to Change What We Eat

Technically Food: Inside Silicon Valley's Mission to Change What We Eat is available on June 1st. Learn more about the book and pre-order at http://itstechnicallyfood.com/.  Alex Shirazi sits down with Larissa Zimberoff as they discuss startups highlighted in her upcoming book as well as nuances of why and how people eat what they eat! Larissa's Bio, from the book, below. Larissa Zimberoff doesn’t like to eat on the go but is known to walk miles to sample something delicious. She is an itinerant fruit forager, and will pluck a white loquat, fuyu persimmon, or green apple off any wandering branch. The story she tells friends will be about scaling the fence, and how great that fruit tasted. College years were spent at UCSD, wandering the eucalyptus groves and beaches of San Diego. Eventually, she landed in the Bay Area. Larissa worked in San Francisco’s tech industry for more than a decade, including at Gap Inc, Yahoo!, and Flickr, but found her way out. She moved to New York in 2011, lived on the Lower East Side, and earned an MFA in creative nonfiction from the New School in 2013. She’s written on the promise of fake eggs, the potential of peas, and how artificial intelligence saved a winery. Her work has appeared in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Wired, Time, Bloomberg Businessweek, and many more. Her passion for technology is matched by an equally precious hope for foods that comes from the natural world. She lives in Northern California, where she’s close to mountain hikes and seaside cycling. This is her first book.

22:31

May 25, 2021

Mike Beveridge of FreshDirect

This episode is sponsored by the Black & Veatch NextGen Ag Team. Learn more about Black and Veatch at https://www.bv.com Mike is a Senior Associate Merchant at FreshDirect, a New-York based online grocer.  He joined FreshDirect in 2019 to work in their express, one-hour delivery service, improving the supply chain, buying and merchandising for Meat, Poultry, and Seafood.  He took over the Meat and Poultry sourcing and supply chain at FreshDirect in April 2020, right at the start of the COVID pandemic, and spends most of his time on FreshDirect’s four whole-animal programs—Grass Fed Beef, Antibiotic-Free Angus Beef, Pasture-Raised Pork, and Pasture-Raised Lamb. Mike graduated from Cornell University in the winter of 2016, where he studied Food Industry Management and Environmental Science.  Prior to FreshDirect, he worked for Smithfield Foods, where he worked for their Walmart sales team, as well on the Foodservice Marketing team.

30:11

May 20, 2021

Catching up with Didier Toubia of Aleph Farms

This episode is sponsored by the Black & Veatch NextGen Ag Team. Learn more about Black and Veatch at www.bv.com We're excited to welcome Didier Toubia of Aleph Farms back on the show! Didier Toubia is the Co-Founder and CEO of Aleph Farms, a cultivated meat company that is shaping the future of food by growing slaughter-free beef steaks directly from cow cells, preserving natural resources, and avoiding the use of antibiotics. Prior to Aleph Farms, Didier co-founded and led IceCure, which went public in 2010, and served as the CEO of NLT Spine, which was acquired by SeaSpine in 2016. Didier was trained as a Food Engineer and Biologist at Agrusup (Dijon, France) and holds a joint executive MBA from Kellogg (IL, US) and Recanati (Israel).

28:55

May 12, 2021

This episode is sponsored by the Black & Veatch NextGen Ag Team. Learn more about Black and Veatch at www.bv.com Sonia Lo, Chief Executive Officer, Sensei Ag Sonia Lo joins the Sensei Ag team with over 32 years of combined agriculture, technology and business experience. Ms. Lo began her career in technology with a UK media conglomerate. She then went on to build her first tech venture as CEO of eZoka Group, a UK-based internet startup that was sold in 2002. Following eZoka, Ms. Lo founded and served as Managing Director of Chalsys LLP, an advisory and direct investment firm which has invested over $120 million in 15 global growth stage companies. From Chalsys, she became the Director of Localization and Global Content for Google, Inc. Most recently, prior to Sensei Ag, Ms. Lo was CEO of Crop One Holdings, Inc., a vertical farming company that owns FreshBox Farms in Millis, MA and a joint venture with Emirates Flight Catering in Dubai which building one of the world’s largest vertical farms with an anticipated output of three tons per day. Ms. Lo earned her BA in Political Science from Stanford University and an MBA with Distinction from Harvard Business School. She also holds Professional Chef and Pastry Qualifications from London and City College and has completed certifications in Green Supply Chain Management and Zero Energy Architecture.

20:58

May 06, 2021

Christie Lagally of Rebellyous Foods with Zack Olson of Black & Veatch

This episode is sponsored by the Black & Veatch NextGen Ag Team. Learn more about Black and Veatch at www.bv.com We are excited to have two fantastic guests on today's episode. Christie Lagally of Rebellyous Foods and Zack Olson of Black & Veatch. Christie Lagally is the founder and CEO of Rebellyous Foods, a food production technology company working to make plant-based meat price-competitive with traditional chicken products. Ms. Lagally is a mechanical engineer and holder of multiple patents in manufacturing technology.  She spent much of her career in the aerospace industry working on commercial airplanes and spacecraft in testing, design, and manufacturing at Boeing Commercial Airplanes.  Previously, Ms. Lagally served as a Senior Scientist for the Good Food Institute uncovering the technical barriers in the development of plant-based meat and clean meat (i.e. cultured meat). Ms. Lagally holds Bachelor's degrees in Organizational Psychology and Mechanical Engineering and a Master’s of Science in Mechanical Engineering. She is also an active member of the National Women’s Political Caucus of Washington, a co-founder of the Humane Voters of Washington (a political action committee) and serves as a Washington State Council Member for the Humane Society of the United States. Zack Olson is part of the Black & Veatch Growth Accelerator which drives smart, rapid, profitable growth; discovers opportunities; and challenges convention. He is a co-managing director of the Growth Accelerator’s NextGen Agriculture business, and currently leads that engineering team. Throughout his career he has been involved in projects that required developing innovative and cost-effective solutions, in close collaboration with the end client, particularly pertaining to energy performance improvements.

35:58

April 20, 2021

Lou Cooperhouse of BlueNalu

This episode is sponsored by the Black & Veatch NextGen Ag Team. Learn more about Black and Veatch at https://www.bv.com. Lou Cooperhouse is recognized as a leading global authority in food business innovation and technology commercialization, with extensive leadership experiences throughout his 35-year career in the food industry. He is a results-driven professional, and has led cross-functional teams in a wide array of industry settings that include: multinational corporations, foodservice and retail operations, new business startups, mid-sized and family-run companies, university entrepreneurship and innovation centers, and industry trade associations. Lou also has considerable expertise in food safety and quality assurance systems, and has provide leadership at numerous FDA and USDA-inspected operations throughout his career, and has conducted third-party audits of dozens of food companies throughout the nation as well. \ Lou received a MS in Food Science and BS in Microbiology, both from Rutgers University, and has served as an Adjunct Professor at the Rutgers Business School.

34:59

April 13, 2021

Steve Matzke is Senior Manager of Pioneering Innovation for CP Kelco, a global provider of nature-based ingredients, and he is based in San Diego.  Steve received a master’s degree in chemical engineering from UC-Berkeley and has spent the majority of his career in process development and the manufacturing of fermentation-derived ingredients.  He has intimate knowledge of large-scale fermentation processes and has spent significant time in all three of CP Kelco’s fermentation manufacturing sites in the U.S. and China.  His current focus is in the alternative protein space and how CP Kelco can contribute to this evolving foodscape. CP Kelco has nearly 90 years of experience serving food, beverage and consumer products manufacturers worldwide. The company unlocks nature-powered success and applies innovation and problem solving to develop tailored solutions for its customers. Pectin, gellan gum and citrus fiber are among the nature-based ingredients in CP Kelco’s portfolio. Learn more at https://cpkelco.com.

22:02

March 31, 2021

Santiago Campuzano - New Harvest Fellowship Series

This episode is part of the New Harvest Fellowship Series. Santiago Campuzano, a former Research Fellow, received his MSc from the University of Ottawa under the supervision of Andrew Pelling. While at the Pelling Lab, Santiago’s research demonstrated how celery can be repurposed as animal-free scaffolding capable of recreating alignment of skeletal muscle cells in vitro. Now residing in Vancouver, Santiago currently works as a Bioengineer at STEMCELL Technologies. Santiago is also an active member of the Open Science Network, a local community lab devoted to educating community members and facilitating multidisciplinary collaborations.

34:20

March 24, 2021

Cameron Semper - New Harvest Fellowship Series

This episode is part of the New Harvest Fellowship Series. To learn more about New Harvest, visit https://new-harvest.org. Cameron is a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Calgary. His  research seeks to leverage protein biochemistry for the advancement of  cellular agriculture. Cameron’s work involves using microbes to produce  growth factors that can then be used to improve the outcomes of fish  cell culture. His other research interests include fungal secondary  metabolism and structural biology. ORIGINAL PHOTO BY AZIN GHAFFARI/POSTMEDIA

25:57

March 10, 2021

John Yuen - New Harvest Fellowship Series

This episode is part of the New Harvest Fellowship Series. Learn more about New Harvest at https://new-harvest.org. John is a fourth year PhD Candidate working on cultured meat in the  David Kaplan Laboratory, alongside Andrew Stout, Natalie Rubio, Ning  Xiang, Michael Saad and Sophie Letche - a growing cell-ag team! John's  goal is to develop scalable techniques to overcome the challenge of  oxygen and nutrient delivery to cells within larger tissues. For  example, it is often quoted that cells can only survive ~200 microns  away from a blood vessel or other source of nutrition (e.g the culture  media). This means that even a 1 mm thick tissue might encounter cell  viability or survival issues within its core/central region. To address  this, John is investigating methods to generate macroscale constructs of  muscle and fat via perfused 3D tissue culture strategies. The hope is  that methods to support cell survival in larger constructs will enable  more advanced muscle and fat tissues to be grown in the future,  containing the higher order, macroscale structural organization seen in  products such as whole muscle cuts of meat. Imagine the large arrays of  aligned muscle fibers seen in steak and chicken breast, etc.

24:59

March 02, 2021

Is cell-based meat Kosher? A discussion with Rabbi Joel Kenigsberg

Joel Kenigsberg is a rabbi, educator and researcher with a special  interest in the application of ancient religious texts to modern  technological innovations. He has presented extensively on this topic at  international forums including at Oxford, UCL, London School of Jewish  Studies and the European Conference of Rabbis, as well as publishing  articles in both mainstream and academic press and consulting some of  the leading companies in the cellular agriculture field. Rabbi Kenigsberg received his ordination from the Chief Rabbinate of  Israel.  He holds an MA from Bar-Ilan University in the  interdisciplinary field of science and Jewish religious law, and  graduated from the Manhigut Toranit (Torah leadership) program at the  prestigious Eretz Hemdah Institute of Advanced Jewish Studies in  Jerusalem, where he formed part of a team of scholars fielding  cutting-edge questions from around the world.

20:48

February 26, 2021

Zac Cosenza - New Harvest Fellowship Series

This episode is part of the New-Harvest Fellowship Series. Learn more about New Harvest at http://new-harvest.org. Zachary Cosenza works on computational tools for design optimization and parameter estimation using optimal experimental design, machine learning, Bayesian optimization, and other statistical learning methods for design of cell growth media for bioprocesses in cell-based meat industry.

19:39

January 17, 2021

Dave Schnettler of LabFarmFoods

On this episode, Alex Shirazi chats with Dave Schnettler of Lab Farm Foods about the future of food tech investing and Lab Farm Foods. Dave Schnettler is an early-stage tech investor and serial entrepreneur. He previously co-founded a digital marketing agency and investment syndicate. Dave brings his business expertise and knowledge of the cellular agricultural landscape to the Lab Farm Foods table, overseeing all non-tech aspects of daily operations.

27:37

January 05, 2021

Martín Salinas, Henk Hoogenkamp, and Gastón Paladini of Moolec Science

This is the first episode with three guests joining us for the Cultured Meat and Future Food Podcast. Please welcome Martín Salinas, Henk Hoogenkamp, and Gastón Paladini  of Mollec Science. Moolec Science is a global pioneer using Molecular Farming to introduce a hybrid concept between plant-based and cell-based technologies in the alternative proteins space. It is a newly formed Ag-Foodtech company consolidating a unique pipeline of projects and capabilities in the Molecular Farming space, with more than one decade under development.

22:54

December 30, 2020

Kai Steinmetz – New Harvest Fellowship Series

Kai Steinmetz is a PhD candidate from the University of Auckland. His  research aims to create serum free and cost-effective growth and differentiation media for cultured meat production - both basal media  and serum requirements will be addressed. His research will also  establish a deer primary muscle cell culture for the first time ever and  test new media formulations on these cells.

23:43

December 15, 2020

Special Edition: Eat Just, Inc., Announces Cell-cultured chicken has been approved for sale

This is a special edition episode with Dr. Vitor Santo of Eat Just, Inc. SINGAPORE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Eat Just, Inc., a company that applies cutting-edge science and technology to create healthier, more sustainable foods, today announced that, after a rigorous consultation and review process, its cultured chicken has been approved for sale in Singapore as an ingredient in chicken bites. The company has developed other cultured chicken formats that will be an extension to this product line.

14:08

December 04, 2020

Josh Balk of the Humane Society of the U.S.

Join Alex as he sits down (virtually) with Josh Balk, Vice President, Farm Animal Protection at the Humane Society of the U.S./ Founder of Hampton Creek. The two discuss where the world is headed in terms of the foods we eat and advancements in food technology.

31:35

November 24, 2020

Björn Lárus Örvar, Ph.D. of ORF Genetics

Björn is a co-founder of ORF Genetics. He served as the CEO of the company from 2006 to 2013 and the Executive V.P. and Chief Scientific Officer of ORF Genetics since 2013. Björn received his Ph.D. in plant molecular genetics in 1997 from the University of British Columbia, Canada, and was a post-doctoral fellow at McGill University, Montréal for three years before moving back to Iceland. Björn is responsible for business development with special focus on developing animal portfolio of growth factors for cell-cultured meat.

22:04

November 13, 2020

Lavanya Anandan of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany

Lavanya is the Head of Partnerships & External innovation, within  the Strategy & Transformation group at Merck KGaA, Darmstadt,  Germany, a global life science and pharmaceutical company. Based at the  company’s Innovation Hub in the Bay Area, she is leading the exploration  of how these parallel industries can accelerate cultured meat  development. Lavanya has held diverse roles in sales, marketing and  strategy within the biotech industry. She has a PhD in Molecular &  Cellular Biology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.   Learn more about Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany at  culturedmeat.emdgroup.com

19:07

October 24, 2020

Dr. Tiffany Lee of the North American Meat Institute

Register for the Cultured Meat Symposium at http://cms20.com Tiffany Lee is the director of regulatory and scientific affairs for the North American Meat Institute where she provides informed scientific analysis to its members on many issues, including food safety, food processing, food quality, diet and health, nutrition, public health initiatives, biotechnology, new technologies, research priorities, and animal health. Lee earned her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and Master of Science degrees from Kansas State University in 2012. After practicing in a mixed animal clinic in Limon, Colorado, she returned to Kansas State University to pursue a PhD degree in Diagnostic Medicine and Pathobiology.

25:53

September 23, 2020

Ricardo M. Gouveia, PhD - New Harvest Fellowship Series

Register for the Cultured Meat Symposium 2020 at https://cms20.com  Ricardo completed his Licenciatura degree in Biology from the University of Lisbon, in Portugal, back in 2004, where he developed an eclectic taste for knowledge.  In 2012, his eagerness to expand on my personal and scientific menu of skills found him in the UK, where he joined Professor Che Connon’s Tissue Engineering Lab as a Research Associate. Since then, his research interests have forked into multiple fields, and allowed me to make new and exciting discoveries relevant to areas as diverse as healthcare, bio-manufacture and food.

25:20

September 13, 2020

Scott Allan - New Harvest Fellowship Series

Register for the Cultured Meat Symposium 2020 event at http://cms20.com  Scott Allan is a New Harvest Research Fellow and PhD student with the Centre for Sustainable Chemical Technologies at the University of Bath,  UK.  He is working with Dr Marianne Ellis and Dr Paul De Bank on bioreactor design for scaling up cultured meat production, with a focus hollow fibre bioreactors. Prior to this, Scott obtained his Masters degree in  Chemical Engineering from the University of Bath and has work experience  in both upstream and downstream oil & gas. His final year (senior year) project was an engineering design project,  with individual and group aspects, focusing on the design of a hypothetical large-scale production plant for cultured meat production.  He is now actively pursuing research for a sustainable future in the  Ellis lab, with an interdisciplinary approach at the intersection  between tissue engineering and bioprocess design.

29:07

September 01, 2020

Carrie Chan of Avant Meats

Register for the Cultured Meat Symposium at http://www.cms20.com Carrie is a seasoned business executive with a passion for the environment, particularly the impact of our food supply on the planet.  Her expertise is in general management and project delivery.  She managed major real estate developments from ground zero to full operation.  At Avant Meats, Carrie provides the vision, guides the strategy and supervises the implementation. The company’s technology platform focus on fish and seafood products tailored for the food culture of consumers in China and in the region. This episode was recorded in April 2020.

30:33

August 09, 2020

Andrew Stout - New Harvest Fellowship Series

Register for the Cultured Meat Symposium 20 at http://www.CMS20.com  Alex Shirazi interviews industry veteran Andrew Stout on this episode.  Andrew is a 3rd year PhD candidate in Dr. David Kaplan's Biomedical  Engineering lab at Tufts University. There, he studies how synthetic  biology and metabolic engineering can be applied to cultured meat, with  particular focus on nutritional and/or functional enhancement of  cultured meat products and bioprocesses. Before Tufts, Andrew obtained a B.S. in Materials Science from Rice  University, was a researcher in the lab of Dr. Mark Post at Maastricht  University (where he studied scaffolding materials for cultured meat),  and worked as a research associate at Geltor, Inc., in San Leandro,  California (where he worked on a team engineering microbial strains for  the production of animal free collagen).

39:08

August 04, 2020

Dr. Martina Miotto and Leo Groenewegen of CellulaREvolution Ltd.

Alex Shirazi sits down with Dr. Miotto and Leo Groenewegen to chat about the exciting new developments from CellulaREvolution, based in the UK.  Dr. Martina Miotto and  is the co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer at CellulaREvolution Ltd. She began her studies at the University of Ferrara (Italy), where she completed a BSc in Biotechnology and a MSc in Biomolecular and Cellular Sciences. Subsequently, she moved to Newcastle University (UK) where she completed her PhD in corneal tissue engineering and a significant part of this involved the development of the technology underpinning CellulaREvolution. Following her successful PhD, Dr Miotto has focussed firmly on a commercial career pathway. She initially received a Newcastle University Enterprise Scholarship, followed by an ICURe Fellowship to explore further the market and value proposition. Afterwards, she was awarded an Enterprise Fellowship by the Royal Society of Edinburgh to receive mentoring and training in the business sector. Since the spin-out of CellulaREvolution from the University in July 2019, Martina has led the scientific development of the company. Leo Groenewegen is co-founder Chief Executive Officer at CellulaREvolution Ltd. Leo has extensive experience in the fields of Biotech and Pharmaceuticals. During his career he has enabled a wide array of firms to out-perform by achieving scientific, financial and commercial excellence. As Chief Executive Officer, Leo ensures that the overall goals of the company are achieved. Leo Groenewegen has previously held a position as CFO at a Swedish based biotech company, where besides financing he was also responsible for Investor relations, PR/Communications and Business Development. Some of his other experiences included positions at reputable consulting firms such as IMS Health and Deloitte.

41:24

July 25, 2020

Jannis Wollschlaeger - New Harvest Fellowship Series [DE]

Diese Folge ist eine special edition Episode, die von Anita Bröllochs moderiert wird. Die Folge wurde auf Deutsch aufgenommen.  Jannis Wollschlaeger hat seinen Master an der Hochschule Biberach und seinen BS and der Universität Ulm absolviert.  Jannis hat seine Promotion an der Hochschule Reutlingen begonnen und seine Forschung fokussiert sich auf er an der Entwicklung eines definierten, kostengünstigen Co-Kulturmediums, tierfreien Biotinten und einem vereinfachten CAD-Modell der natürlichen Fett- und Muskelgewebe Struktur für den 3D-Druck von Fleisch.  Jannis ist seit Dezember 2019 Teil des New Harvest Fellowship Programms.  -- This is a special edition episode hosted by Anita Broellochs. This episode is recorded in German.  Jannis Wollschlaeger completed his Master Thesis at Hochschule Biberach University of Applied Sciences and his BS at Ulm University. Jannis started his PhD at Reutlingen University and has been focusing his research on the development of a an inexpensive co-culture medium, animal-free bio-inks and a simplified CAD model of the natural fat and muscle tissue structure for 3D Printing Cultured Meat / Meat Bioprinting Jannis has been part of the New Harvest Fellowship Program since December 2019.

25:35

July 14, 2020

Jordan Jones - New Harvest Fellowship Series

Alex Shirazi interviews Jordan Jones, who is working on exciting new  technologies that could lead to tremendous milestones in the world of  cultured meat. Jordan Jones grew up in Memphis, TN. He graduated as Valedictorian from  Memphis Academy of Science and Engineering. His interest in biomedical  engineering began in high school through an internship at Memphis  Bioworks. While there, he was able to study cartilage regeneration using  human stem cells.  Jordan then began pursuing a Bachelor of Science  degree in Biomedical Engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute  (WPI). He received several merit scholarships including the  Marshall/Chavez/Means award. Jordan was a research assistant in Dr.  Glenn Gaudette’s laboratory from 2014 to 2016. He worked on numerous  research projects focused on cardiac regeneration, decellularization,  and designed bioreactor systems. For his senior thesis, Jordan designed a  system that utilized decellularized plant vasculature as a model for  medical diagnostics and drug testing. After graduating from WPI, Jordan worked in the medical device industry  from 2016 to 2018. He then returned to WPI to pursue a PhD in Biomedical  Engineering. In 2018 Jordan’s research was displayed at The Centre  Pompidou in Paris, France, in the exhibit “La Fabrique Du Vivant”.  Shortly after returning to WPI, Jordan became a New Harvest research  fellow. He is currently working on developing lab-grown meat. Jordan  uses decellularized plant tissues to form a vascularized scaffold  suitable for 3D bioengineered tissues, including structured meats such  as steak.

27:53

July 07, 2020

The Cultured Meat Symposium 2020 online event is taking place this October 19-21, 2020. Learn more and register at https://cms20.com.   On this episode, Alex Shirazi chats with Dr. James Ryall, the CSO of Vow, a cultivated meat company based in Australia.  Doctor James Ryall was awarded his PhD in the field of skeletal muscle physiology in 2006 at The University of Melbourne. In 2008 he was awarded a prestigious research fellowship and from 2008-2013 he worked at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, MD (USA) on a project studying the basic biology of skeletal muscle stem cells and the process of muscle regeneration.   In 2013 Dr Ryall returned to Australia and The University of Melbourne, where he was a leading scientist within the Centre for Muscle Research (CMR).   Most recently, Dr Ryall joined Vow in November 2019 as their Chief Scientific Officer and has spent the last seven months building a scientific program around cultured meat and achieving Vow’s goal of creating a cell library for multiple different species.

27:32

July 06, 2020

Sam Peabody - New Harvest Fellowship Series

Established in 2004, New Harvest is the non-profit research institute building the field of cellular agriculture. We're partnering with new Harvest for a multi-part series on the Cultured Meat and Future Food Show.  On this episode, we're excited to have Sam Peabody who sits down (virtually) with Alex Shirazi to discuss new and exciting research in the field of cultivated meat.  Samuel S. Peabody IV is a 1st year Ph.D. student of Animal Science at Texas Tech University. His area of research includes the study of Microbiology and Food Safety. His current studies are examining the safety aspects of cell cultured meat, poultry, and seafood.

43:05

June 23, 2020

Dr. Nina Buffi and Dr. Jan Saam of Ospin.de

This episode is co-hosted with Anita Broellochs. Nina Buffi obtained her degree of Microengineering in 2009 at the Swiss Institute of Technology Lausanne. After an internship at the University of British Columbia, where she developed a microfluidic chip for impedance cell spectroscopy, she joined the Microsystems Laboratory at EPFL, where she obtained her PhD with a thesis titled "Design and construction of a portable whole-cell living bacterial biosensor for the detection of arsenic in water". In 2014 she moved to Berlin and later she joined OSPIN, a company aiming to establish an open bioprocessing platform as the operating system of modern biotechnology. Since January 2018 she is the OSPIN´s CTO. Jan studied biophysics and after simulating the complex dynamics of biomolecules on super computers he worked as a product designer in software industry for a while. Later he became an innovation manager at a biomedical think tank in Berlin where he got interested in tissue engineering. In 2014 he founded OSPIN, at the beginning with focus on creating automated bioreator systems for tissue engineering projects. Meanwhile OSPIN's technology has developed into a modular platform for bioprocess automation with many different applications. Of course Jan is excited about cultured meat and the fascinating challenges in bioprocessing it poses.

31:16

June 19, 2020

Natalie Rubio - New Harvest Fellowship Series

We're excited to announce the New Harvest Fellowship Series. Established in 2004, New Harvest is the non-profit research institute building the field of cellular agriculture. We're partnering with New Harvest for a multi-part series on the Cultured Meat and Future Food Show. We've had conversations with members of the New Harvest leadership previously on this show. Please see our episode with Executive Director Isha Datar and Research Director Dr. Kate Krueger. On this episode, we are delighted to have Natalie Rubio, kicking off the New Harvest Fellowship Series. Natalie is a Ph.D. student at Tufts University in the Biomedical Engineering Department. She works in Dr. David Kaplan's tissue engineering research group. Her research is primarily focused on growing cultured meat from insect cells and developing edible scaffold systems. Prior to graduate school, Natalie worked for New Harvest and Perfect Day Foods. Currently, she is a scientific advisor for two cellular agriculture start-up companies (Bond Pet Foods, Matrix Meats).

29:18

June 02, 2020

Liz Marshall - Meat The Future

Alex Shirazi chats with filmmaker Liz Marshall about the upcoming  documentary: Meat The Future (2020). Learn more about the film at  www.meatthefuture.com  Liz Marshall is an award-winning Canadian filmmaker. Since the 1990s she  has written, produced, directed, and filmed diverse international and  socially conscious documentaries.  Her work has been released theatrically, been broadcast globally, made  available digitally, and has screened for hundreds of grassroots  communities around the globe. Marshall’s visionary feature-length films  explore social justice and environmental themes driven by strong  characters.  Marshall’s current feature documentary Meat The Future , chronicles the  birth of the “clean” “cultured” “cell-based” "cultivated" meat industry  in America through the eyes of pioneer Dr. Uma Valeti. Previous titles  include Midian Farm (2018), Water On The Table (2010), the HIV/AIDS  trilogy for the Stephen Lewis Foundation (2007), to name a few.

32:53

April 30, 2020

Bruce Friedrich of The Good Food Institute

Bruce Friedrich is co-founder and executive director of The Good Food Institute. With branches in the United States, India, Israel, Brazil, Europe, and Asia Pacific, GFI is accelerating the production of plant-based and cultivated meat in order to bolster the global protein supply while protecting our environment, promoting global health, and preventing food insecurity and animal cruelty. His TED talk from April 2019 has been viewed more than 2.2m times and has been translated into 23 languages.

25:54

April 18, 2020

Shannon is a data-driven creative-at-heart and her mission is to create a better future by changing the way we produce and consume food.  She is a Jack of All Trades that specializes in consumer-backed business strategy, data analysis, marketing, and policy in the food industry.   Her endeavors center around alternative protein and Food Tech which reduces harmful climate impacts of food production.  Shannon's Podcast: Big Food Big Future Shannon's Book: Printing Your Dinner

22:02

April 10, 2020

Gary Schefsky of New Luna Ventures

Gary Schefsky is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of New Luna Ventures. He is also an investor, professor, educational writer and a leading proponent of sustainable impact measurement. New Luna Ventures is a leading impact venture capital advisor and investor in the food, agriculture, energy, community enrichment, and enabling software industries. they help entrepreneurs build sustainable ventures and connect disruptive ideas with investors and partners. Mr Schefsky’s experience in impact investing, knowledge, & add-value support resonants with food 2.0 entrepreneurs. His depth of experience with entrepreneurship, emerging market opportunities, and as an investment professional also provide New Luna Ventures with a powerful combination for success.

40:05

April 06, 2020

Tony Hunter - Futurist for food

Tony Hunter is a Global Futurist, Speaker and Foresight Strategy consultant specializing in the Future of Food. He uses his FutureCUBED™ methodology as a structured way of viewing the food, beverage and ag industry’s long term future in 10+ years while linking it back to current events. This enables a practical, real world approach to the task of using foresight strategy to predict the long term Future of Food. He is a passionate believer that AgriFood Tech offers massive opportunities to solve the problems of sustainability and feeding the growing global population. Tony travels the world using his distinctive combination of scientific qualifications, business experience and detailed understanding of exponential food technologies to deliver a unique perspective on the Future of Food. This week, we will be doing something a bit different. I've decided to leave in some of the introductory conversation that I have with guests as I explain the recording process. Stay safe. Stay indoors. Save lives.

34:43

April 01, 2020

Kevin Cochran, CEO & Founder of Jackie Mays Grill

Contribute to the campaign here: https://www.ulule.com/jackie-mays-ulule-campaign/ Kevin Cochran makes his full circle return to the restaurant industry in his newest venture, Jackie Mays Burger Grill. Jackie Mays is the culmination of a career spent in the service of customers, whether in retail, e-commerce, business, or sustainability. After ten years of working up the ranks in many restaurants to becoming the first General Manager of Freebirds World Burrito, Kevin gave up the food business two decades ago for the high tech world, and worked the last ten in clean technology. In his previous role as Chief Operations Officer for an emerging energy and sustainability management company, Kevin led programs to track energy and carbon footprints for organizations like HP, Tesla, VMware, and the City of Sacramento. Trained at top universities in the US and Europe, with an MBA and a certification in Sustainability, he currently serves as a Director on the Board of the Sustainability Management Association. A through-line in Kevin’s career has been a personal passion to combat climate change, of which you can read more on his BLOG at www.sustainabilityX.com. Coming full circle, Kevin’s current venture Jackie Mays, and its climate-friendly and cruelty-free mission, seeks to transform the fast food industry, change the world, and your diet.

40:58

February 15, 2020

Björn Öste of Good Idea Drinks and Oatly

Alex Shirazi chats with Björn Öste about starting a food company, his career in tech, and the success of Oatly through the decades. Björn Öste is the founder and CEO of Good Idea, Inc and co-founder of  Oatly. In the last 21 years, Bjorn has spent traveling the globe building markets and supply chains. His focus has been on the business development side of things.  Identifying industry partners, investor groups, various subject matter experts across multiple fields, and markets and disciplines. He sees virtually endless opportunities in the “high tech” food industry where the incumbents have surrendered product innovation to small, focused and dedicated expert companies like the ones he represents. He finds it exceptionally rewarding to be able to work with products on a  global scale that make a real and meaningful difference in the daily lives of many individuals.

33:46

January 18, 2020

Alex Shirazi and Ira van Eelen sit down in Maastricht, Netherlands to discuss the historic journey of cultured meat through the last few decades.  Ira van Eelen is a Co-founder of KindEarth.Tech and RESPECT.farm She is a designer with a demonstrated history of working in event design, healthcare ICT, marketing and the think tank industry. The legacy as the daughter of Willem van Eelen and 40 years of  Clean/Cultured/Cultivated/JUST/InVitro Meat history is converted into speaking about the potential of- and understanding the urgency of this innovation, so that the audience can embrace the idea. She am proud to be able to work on two passions. Cultured meat as legacy from my father and preventive oral healthcare as gift to her son. She is one of the organizes of Kind Earth Tech where Next year, KET events will take place in Paris, Singapore, Amsterdam, London and back in San Francisco early 2021.

42:58

December 05, 2019

Food and Artificial Intelligence with Lav Varshney

New Speakers announced! The Cultured Meat Symposium is a conference dedicated to cell-cultured meat or cultivated meat technology. Taking place in San Francisco on November 14 and 15th, check out the speaker line up at www.CMS19.com. Lav Varshney is an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering, computer science, neuroscience, and industrial engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He is also chief scientist of Ensaras, Inc. On leave, he is currently a principal research scientist at Salesforce Research, Palo Alto, CA, focusing on AI ethics and AI for social good. He received the B.S. degree from Cornell University in 2004. He received the S.M., E.E., and Ph.D. degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2006, 2008, and 2010, where his theses received the E. A. Guillemin Thesis Award and the J.-A. Kong Award Honorable Mention. He was a research staff member at the IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center from 2010 until 2013, where he led the design and development of the Chef Watson computational creativity system. Dr. Varshney serves on the advisory board of the AI XPRIZE. He received the IBM Faculty Award in 2014 and was a finalist for the Bell Labs Prize in 2014 and 2016.

32:14

October 04, 2019

Ingrid Newkirk, President and Founder of PETA

Ingrid Newkirk is the president and founder of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. She is the subject of the HBO documentary I Am an Animal and has written eight books about helping animals, including Making Kind Choices and The PETA Practical Guide to Animal Rights. Her new book AnimalKind is due out in January 2020. Her work for animal rights has made headlines around the world.

26:06

September 09, 2019

Robert Petrarca of Maxine's Heavenly

Robert Petrarca is the co-founder and CEO of Maxine's Heavenly, a line of vegan, gluten-free, oat based cookies with about 1/2 the sugar as leading natural brands of cookies.  Maxine's Heavenly cookies are mom's homemade recipe made so much better for you.  Founded in 2013 and formally launched in 2016, Maxine's Heavenly has experienced triple digit growth for the last three years, gaining traction through major retailers like Whole Foods Market, Natural Grocers, INFRA/NCG, and Walmart. Previously, Robert co-founded TTC, a nonprofit cultural arts company that created a unique revenue partnership model with CA State Parks and local food and wine purveyors in the North Bay.  TTC was and continues to be a rapid growth organization that scaled revenues over 700% in the first three years. The Cultured Meat Symposium is taking place on November 14-15 in San Francisco. Register now at www.CMS19.com

24:14

August 31, 2019

Philip Saneski of ReGrained

Philip Saneski is the VP of Product and Commander-in-Chef of ReGrained, a mission-driven brand ingredient platform that connects urban craft breweries to sustainable food systems. Philip’s culinary background in Michelin-Star and James Beard Award finalist kitchens was succeeded by working with food entrepreneurs' concept to commercialization at a product development consultancy, where he also led the launch of the Research Chefs Association Evolution of Food Waste product development student competition. His unique food background, involvement with non-profit impact organizations, curiosity about ingredients historically considered “waste,” and passion for formulating delicious products at scale make him a natural fit for ReGrained. As Commander-in-Chef, he oversees production, innovation, sourcing, culinary operations, food science and every opportunity to do a collaboration dinner popup.

42:14

August 17, 2019

Guy Crims of The Butcher Shop by Niku Steakhouse

Guy Crims, or “Guy the Butcher,” as he’s generally known, is a veteran of the butcher business and a legend in the world of Japanese Wagyu. In 2017 alone, Crims was responsible for bringing 4.3 metric tons of Wagyu beef into the U.S.   Crims, a California native, became fascinated with the butcher business when he was 14 after reading The Jungle, Upton Sinclair’s novel depicting the American meatpacking industry in early 20th century. His first job was at a family-owned butcher shop in Pacifica. Crims followed the original owner to a butchery in San Francisco, where he continued to hone his craft.  In college, Crims studied architecture, not food—although the two passions merged when he worked on a slaughterhouse design project that advocated for the humane treatment of livestock. He continued to blend both roles as a managing partner at Pape Meat Company and most currently, as a managing partner of One Henry Adams, which includes Udon Time, Niku Steakhouse and The Butcher Shop by Niku. In 2017, Crims was invited to tour Japan with the Japanese Wagyu Beef Committee—the only non-chef included on the tour. There, Crims met Omakase Restaurant Group co-owner Jackson Yu. Chef Yu enthusiastically introduced Crims to his business partner Kash Feng, who was in the early planning stages of a Wagyu-focused butcher shop and restaurant concept slated for a space at One Henry Adams. As plans started to coalesce, Feng tapped Crims as the master butcher for both the restaurant and butcher shop concepts.

30:03

August 03, 2019

Dr. Yuki Hanyu of IntegriCulture

Yuki Hanyu got his Ph.D in chemistry from Oxford University in 2010. After working as a research scientist in Tohoku University and Toshiba Research and Development Center, he founded the "Shojinmeat Project", the world’s first citizen science community for DIY open-source cell-based meat. Based on the low-cost cell culture technology developed in Shojinmeat Project, he founded IntegriCulture Inc. in 2015 to commercialize cell-based meat. The company develops the general-purpose large-scale cell culture system (CulNet System) to scale and commercialize cell-based products such as cosmetics, foie gras and meat, while Shojinmeat Project develops DIY cell-based meat and engage in public communications through art and doujin projects. He aims to build a Lunar and Martian cell-cultured food production facility to support thousands of colonists there in the future, and develop technologies so that anyone can design and make cell-based meat for fun.

23:56

July 31, 2019

Mike Selden of Finless Foods

Mike Selden is the Co-founder and CEO of Finless Foods, a cellular agriculture company developing future food technology. In this episode, we explore the differences between cultured beef and seafood products, seafood consumption in the Asia pacific region compared to the United States, and Silicon Valley deep tech.

35:53

June 14, 2019

Series Swap: Adam Yee of My Food Job Rocks and Hugh Thomas of Ugly Drinks

This episode will feature another podcast, the My Food Job Rocks podcast! Adam Yee is the host of the My Food Job Rocks podcast, a podcast about food science and technology. On this episode, he interviews Hugh Thomas, co-founder of Ugly Drinks. The episode title is EP. 105 – The Beauty in Branding Ugly, with Hugh Thomas, CEO and CoFounder at Ugly Drinks. Thank you Adam and Hugh for a great discussion! You can learn more about Adam's podcast at www.myfoodjobrocks.com

53:35

June 07, 2019

Fabio Ziemssen of NX-Food

Fabio and Alex chat about the next wave of future foods and the aspects of a successful product on store shelves. Fabio Ziemssen is the Director of Food Innovation at NX-FOOD a METRO AG subsidiary responsible for concepts in the digital environment of food and food innovation. As a blogger for the e-Food Blogs he organized meetings throughout Germany for the Food Startups scene such as German Food Startup Meetups, Next Generation Food Think Tank, FoodStartup Market, and more. Since 2017 Fabio Ziemssen is also Co-Founder of the Coworking Space Super7000 and #FoodNext Initiative.

33:42

May 30, 2019

Vitor Espirito Santo is the Director of Cellular Agriculture at JUST focused on the planning and implementation of the clean meat program in the company, from early stage cell line selection and characterization to early bioprocess optimization. He has more than 10 years of experience in the development of cell-based models and therapies (primary cells, cell lines, stem cells) for biotechnology applications Vitor has a MSc in Biomedical Engineering and PhD degree in Tissue Engineering, Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cells, both obtained at University of Minho in Portugal. Prior to JUST, Vitor worked briefly at Immunocore (UK) for the development of immunotherapies for cancer research. He also worked for 5 years at iBET (a private biotechnology institute) in Portugal as a Senior Scientist. Vitor has been an invited lecturer in Master and PhD programs of several Portuguese Universities, lecturing in topics of drug delivery, biomaterial design, stem cells, and cell models for pre-clinical research, among others.

29:35

May 24, 2019

Dr. Kate Krueger of New Harvest

Dr. Kate Krueger chats with Alex Shirazi about her background in the  cellular agriculture space and her work as Research Director at New York  based New Harvest.  Kate Krueger is Research Director at New Harvest where she leads new  initiatives in cellular agriculture. Prior to New Harvest, Kate worked  as a scientist at Perfect Day foods (formerly Muufri) a cellular  agriculture startup where she contributed to Perfect Day’s cell ag  protein patent. Kate holds a PhD in Cell Biology from Yale and is  passionate about using tech for the betterment of society.

23:51

April 30, 2019

Tom is Founder and CEO of Stem! He formerly held fellowships at the  University of Cambridge and at the World Economic Forum and has  advocated sugar reduction initiatives through Sky News and Channel 4  television appearances.

29:24

April 15, 2019

Laura D’Asaro and Alex Shirazi chat about the marketing behind getting people to “eat bugs” and how the journey to powdered cricket proteins started. Laura D’Asaro is the co-founder/CEO of Chirps, a company that works to normalize insect consumption as a sustainable source of protein. She is a Forbes 30 under 30 social entrepreneur, Shark … Continue reading "Laura D’Asaro of Chirps"

24:48

April 02, 2019

Julia Aumüller and Jens Tuider of ProVeg

Julia Aumüller, studied sociology and specialized in sociology of food. She is working as Executive coordinator at ProVeg, working closely with the CEO, COO and International Director. She is also responsible for the organization of the New Food Conference. Jens Tuider studied philosophy and specialised in animal ethics. He is currently Chief of Staff and … Continue reading "Julia Aumüller and Jens Tuider of ProVeg"

32:28

March 13, 2019

Dr. Can Akcali of Biftek.co

Can Akcali MD PhD, is a full professor of Cellular and Molecular Biology. He received MD from Ankara University and Ph D from University of Cincinnati, Dept.of Molecular Biology and Genetics. Currently he is a faculty member at Ankara University, School of Medicine. He is also vice president in Stem Cell Research Institute at Ankara … Continue reading "Dr. Can Akcali of Biftek.co"

26:41

March 09, 2019

Is cultured meat vegan? – Kenny Torrella – Mercy For Animals

Kenny Torrella serves as Mercy For Animals’ director of communications. Alex Shirazi and Kenny Torella discuss the role of future food technologies, how it relates to animal welfare, and a world without animal traditional agriculture practices. He works with MFA’s team of writers and editors and has garnered media coverage for farmed animals in mainstream … Continue reading "Is cultured meat vegan? – Kenny Torrella – Mercy For Animals"

31:01

February 05, 2019

Tom Ben Arye – Technion – Israel Institute of Technology

Tom is an Israeli Ph.D candidate developing clean meat in the Levenberg lab of the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. He finished his B.Sc in molecular biochemistry in the Technion with great honors and his M.Sc in the Levenberg lab. During his Ph.D, he initiated a clean meat project from which the start up … Continue reading "Tom Ben Arye – Technion – Israel Institute of Technology"

26:56

January 06, 2019

Sara Oliveira is a biomedical engineer specialized in tissue engineering. Two years after her PhD, she decided to dive in to a new adventure. Sara holds a PhD in Bioengineering Systems from the MIT Portugal Program at the University of Minho and she has strong background in tissue engineering and biomaterials, such as multiscale scaffolds … Continue reading "Sara M. Oliveira of INL"

24:43

December 17, 2018

Keith Zakheim of Antenna Group

As chief executive officer, Keith Zakheim ensures Antenna lives and breathes the firm’s core values — strong ethics that instill trust and impart transparency; respectful, positive, collaborative, mutually beneficial relationships among client-partners, colleagues and those with whom we conduct business; continual education for the highest standards; empowering entrepreneurial passion and a commitment to public service … Continue reading "Keith Zakheim of Antenna Group"

26:23

November 27, 2018

Sandhya Sriram of Shiok Meats

Dr. Sandhya Sriram has extensive experience in the biotechnology space. We discuss her interest in business and the path that led to the cell-based meat startup, Shiok Meats. Learn how the Asia-Pacific region can greatly benefit from cell-based meat technologies and why it’s so important. The Cultured Meat Symposium is taking place on November 1st … Continue reading "Sandhya Sriram of Shiok Meats"

22:21

October 24, 2018

Thomas King of Food Frontier

Thomas King discusses how he started out as an environmental advocate at an early age. This led his work to focus on alternatives to animal agriculture, the cause of many of the problems he was tackling. He founded Food Frontier to focus on ways to bring plant based and cell-based meats to the Asia Pacific. … Continue reading "Thomas King of Food Frontier"

27:17

October 14, 2018

Ali Bouzari of Pilot R&D and Render Foods

In this episode, Alex Shirazi and Ali Bouzari talk about future food technologies and developing food that creates an experience. We chat about the potential of cell-based meat and whether we should dare to explore creations such as “designer meats”. The Cultured Meat Symposium is taking place in San Francisco on November 1st. Learn more … Continue reading "Ali Bouzari of Pilot R&D and Render Foods"

25:43

October 10, 2018

Carrie Kuball of EnviroFlight

Carrie Kuball and Alex Shirazi chat about the future of food technology as it relates to insect proteins and animal feed. Carrie discusses the Black Soldier Fly and the benefits of sustainably farming insects as a protein source for animal feed. CMS18 is taking place on November 1st in San Francisco. Use code CMSPODCAST for … Continue reading "Carrie Kuball of EnviroFlight"

19:50

October 07, 2018

David Benzaquen of Ocean Hugger Foods and PlantBased Solutions

Alex Shirazi and David Benzaquen talk about the increasing rise of popularity for plant based alternatives and food technology startups. David describes the market for new types of foods and how plant based products play a huge role in future food technology. Join us in San Francisco on November 1st at the Cultured Meat Symposium … Continue reading "David Benzaquen of Ocean Hugger Foods and PlantBased Solutions"

24:00

September 30, 2018

Ahmed Khan of CellAgri – Clean Meat Founders Series

We wrap up the Clean Meat Founders Series with Ahmed Khan. Alex and Ahmed discuss the Cellular Agriculture industry, the products that are currently available, and what it takes to be a key player in the space. Ahmed Khan is the founder and editor of CellAgri. A news and media platform that aims to be … Continue reading "Ahmed Khan of CellAgri – Clean Meat Founders Series"

26:28

September 19, 2018

Darren Henry of Seafuture Sustainable Biotech – Clean Meat Founders Series

Learn about the basics of aquaculture and how cell-based fish could change they way we consume seafood. Dr. Darren Henry discusses his company and describes his vision for the path of cell-based meat coming to market. Dr. Darren Henry is the founder of Seafuture Sustainable Biotech, a early stage cellular agriculture company developing the technology … Continue reading "Darren Henry of Seafuture Sustainable Biotech – Clean Meat Founders Series"

18:04

September 12, 2018

Brian Spears of New Age Meats - Clean Meat Founders Series

Brian Spears and Alex Shirazi sit down at the IndieBio HQ in San Francisco to discuss New Age Meats. This episode was recorded live August 5, 2018. Brian Spears is the cofounder and CEO of New Age Meats. After graduating as a chemical engineer, he worked for four years with National Instruments in Austin, TX … Continue reading "Brian Spears of New Age Meats"

36:00

September 06, 2018

Didier Toubia of Aleph Farms - Clean Meat Founders Series

I had the pleasure of speaking with Didier Toubia of Aleph Farms. We discussed the future of clean meat as it relates to antibiotics, coming to market, and the co-existing of animal farmers and cultured meat. Didier Toubia is a Biologist and Food Engineer by education. Aleph Farms is part of the Cellular Agriculture revolution- … Continue reading "Didier Toubia of Aleph Farms"

23:02

August 30, 2018

Stephanie Wallis and Benjamina Bollag of HigherSteaks

Alex talks clean meat with Stephanie Wallis and Benjamina Bollag of HigherSteaks. Based in London, HigherSteaks is creating cultured meat starting with minced products and then moving on to more complex structures. Listen in as we discuss the state of the industry and the exciting journey ahead. Benjamina has a Masters in chemical engineering from … Continue reading "Stephanie Wallis and Benjamina Bollag of HigherSteaks"

22:56

August 15, 2018

Ron Shigeta of Wild Earth – Clean Meat Founders Series

Ron Shigeta PhD is a a co-founder of IndieBio, the world’s premiere accelerator for biotechnology. Ron helped establish a portfolio of 68 innovative consumer and startup biotech companies embraced by tech and industrial investors alike. Food investments include Memphis Meats, Clara Foods, GelTor, New Wave Foods, The Not Company, MiraculeX, and Willow Cup. Currently, Ron … Continue reading "Ron Shigeta of Wild Earth – Clean Meat Founders Series"

31:41

July 27, 2018

Robert Yaman of Kiran – Clean Meat Founders Series

Robert Yaman is the Co founder of Kiran, a clean meat company based in San Francisco. Robert and I chat about the path to creating a clean meat company, the resources available in the industry for early stage founders, and the growth and future of clean meat companies. This episode is part of the Cultured … Continue reading "Robert Yaman of Kiran – Clean Meat Founders Series"

33:06

July 20, 2018

Peter Verstrate of Mosa Meat – Clean Meat Founders Series

Peter Verstrate is the CEO of Mosa Meat, the company known for producing the first Cultured Meat hamburger in 2013. Peter and I chat about the developments in the cellular agriculture industry, the startups in the space, and the exciting direction of future food technology. This episode is part of the Cultured Meat and Future … Continue reading "Peter Verstrate of Mosa Meat – Clean Meat Founders Series"

23:50

July 14, 2018

I chat with Erin Kim of New Harvest about a realistic approach to cultured meat. We discuss the early days of New Harvest, the transformation of the industry, and have some straight talk about what we are calling the future of meat. Bonus: Cricket Burgers!

39:07

July 07, 2018

Clean Meat could change the way we produce food in the future. I had a great discussion Dr. David Welch covering topics related to Clean Meat research, types of stem cells used for cellular agriculture, FBS and clean serums, and ultra running!

25:23

June 28, 2018

Episode 06: Rosie Bosworth

Dr. Rosie Bosworth is making change in the global food system. Alex and Rosie discuss the state of clean meat, vertical farming, and the startups that are making an impact.

29:20

June 21, 2018

Cultured Meat or Clean Meat is changing the world in many different ways. Isha Datar of New Harvest talks about the technology behind cellular agriculture and the importance of researching this technology for the future of the global food system.

28:15

May 27, 2018

Cultured Meat or Clean Meat is changing the world in many different ways. Lisa Feria from Stray Dog Capital discusses the cultured meat and plant based meat startup landscape and the opportunities that are available within the space.

27:13

May 02, 2018

Cultured Meat or Clean Meat is changing the world in many different ways. Paul Shapiro is the author of “Clean Meat: How Growing Meat Without Animals Will Revolutionize Dinner and the World”. Paul shares his experience eating different types of clean meat and discusses the companies that are making an impact in the industry.

34:19

April 08, 2018

Cultured Meat or Clean Meat is changing the world in many different ways. Daan Luining discusses the role of Cultured Meat and how it’s made, when we might be seeing it on store shelves, and the next generation of space food.

24:47

March 08, 2018

Cultured Meat or Clean Meat is changing the world in many different ways. Brad Barbera, the Director of Innovation at the Good Food Institute (GFI.org), discusses how the clean meat revolution can change the world in terms of health, the environment, animal welfare, and feeding the global population.

30:51

March 04, 2018

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Cultured Meat and Future Food Podcast • A podcast on Anchor

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Cultured Meat and Future Food is a short-form podcast series discussing the role of plant based food, cultivated meat and food technology. The show is focused on asking industry leaders questions for an audience with a non-scientific background. Cultured Meat and Future Food is targeted towards entr…

# data[].attributes.body
1 --> Would you eat the cultured meat? Why or why not?

2 --> What do you think about the antibiotic resistance crisis caused by meat production?

3 --> How is it for you to know that animals are only there to end up as food?

4 --> In your opinion, what are the advantages of producing cultured meat for the environment?

5 --> Do you think vegetarians and vegans would accept the special type of meat?

6 --> Can cultured meat help personalized nutrition to make progress?

7 --> Do you think it will be problematic to establish regulations for the production of cultured meat?

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The world’s first cultured meat burger was cooked and tasted live in 2013

# data[].attributes.body
cultured meat = meat produced by in vitro cultivation of animal cells, instead of from slaughtered animals
pioneer = a person who is among the first to study or develop something
inevitable = something cannot be avoided
novelty = something new and strange
slaughter= the killing of animals for food
animal cruelty = the crime of causing physical pain, suffering or death on an animal
antibiotic resistance = bacteria develop the ability to survive exposure to antibiotics designed to kill them or stop their growth
proliferation = the fact of something increasing a lot and suddenly in number or amount
controversial = causing disagreement or discussion
immortalisation = the ability of a genetically engineered cell line to reproduce indefinitely

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"Should cultured meat replace conventional meat in future? Why or why not?"

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Learn about the science of cultivated meat and the challenges that must be addressed for commercial production.

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Engineering a natural and innovative process to grow meat for the world.

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Learn how we make real meat without tearing down a rainforest or killing an animal.

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Cultured meat promises to change the way we eat and help solve some of the big problems of a crowded planet. When will it be on our plate and how will this technology impact the world?
As you eat your next meal, take a moment to consider that in a couple years, your food might be served with meat that has not been taken from an animal. During the past couple of years, the field of cultured meat has evolved from just a few pioneers to a growing number of players working towards the common goal of making meat derived from animals a thing of the past.

We are now at a point where the arrival of cultured meat seems inevitable. To prepare for its arrival, it's important to start thinking about the impact the technology will make, how it will be regulated and whether people will actually want to eat it.

Why eat cultured meat?

"In time, I believe that cultured meat could fundamentally change the way the majority of meat is produced in Europe," Peter Verstrate, CEO of the Dutch company Mosa Meat, told me. Founded by , the scientist behind the world's first lab-grown burger, his company might be one of the first to sell cultured meat at restaurants and supermarkets in Europe.

"We will see a shift in the way production is organized from feedlots and slaughterhouses to cultured meat 'factories,'" Verstrate explained. "Moving to this more efficient method of production would have many potential benefits for Europe, such as helping to reduce emissions of methane that contribute substantially to climate change."

The shift to cultured meat could not only reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but also decrease significantly the use of water and land by . Growing meat without the animal would eliminate the need for antibiotics and hormones in the final product, too.

When will it be on our plate?

Many companies working on cultured meat - including Mosa Meat and US-based Memphis Meats, the two startups with the most funding - have a similar time in mind to launch their first product: 2021.

There is an exception, though. The American company Just says their first product - cultured chicken - has been market ready since 2018, but they are waiting for the regulatory requirements of cultured meat to be more clearly established in the US before launching commercially.

When we'll actually see the impact of cultured meat, however, might take a bit longer.

Will it be affordable?

The first products will likely be released at a small scale and with a premium price in select restaurants or retail sellers. However, that might vary a lot depending on the type of meat and the technology used by each company.

Most companies are trying to produce their own versions of beef. "Cattle are the least efficient links in production - pigs are twice as efficient, and chickens are four times more efficient," said Verstrate. "Cattle also contribute the most greenhouses gases, including methane which is 30 times more potent than carbon dioxide as a heat-trapping gas. And, cattle require the most natural resources, causing mass deforestation and loss of biodiversity."

Beef is also one of the priciest meats. said Didier Toubia, co-founder and CEO of Aleph Farms, the "Beef sells at 2 to 3 times the price of pork and poultry. With beef it will be easier to break even," first company to create a cultured steak - a feat much more complex than producing processed forms of meat like most other players.

Companies like US-based Finless Foods and Blue Nalu, working on cultured fish, might have lower costs given that culturing fish cells requires lower temperatures and therefore less energy to be produced.

For its part, Biotech Foods focuses on processed forms of food, such as sausages and ham. "In the short term we want to focus on the market that has more traction in Europe, which is pork and poultry," said Vila. She expects the company to, unlike its peers, launch its first cultured meat products in 2021 at a price that can compete with conventional meat.

The trick to driving costs down is scaling up production. "The challenge is the same for all of us," said Vila. "Making tissues in vitro has been around for a long time in regenerative medicine, what hasn't been done before is at large scale and at a price that a consumer can afford. It's not the same to grow skin for a burn unit, which can allow for a higher price, than grow meat to eat a sausage, for which no one wants to pay that much money."

Eventually, as cultured meat producers scale up, all predictions seem to agree that the price will be the same or even lower than that of conventional meat.

How will it be regulated?

In order to sell cultured meat, the companies developing the technology need to comply with regulations around it. Regulations for cultured meat, however, are something still very new and remain a challenge for all players.

"We all have to comply with the regulatory requirements, but no company you can come across has achieved that yet," said Vila.

The European Food Safety Authority's regulation on novel foods, which specifically includes cultured meat, establishes a process of around 18 months in which a company has to prove the product is safe.

In the US, the situation is still not as clear, but the FDA and the USDA have been actively discussing cultured meat. They recently announced the technology will not require any additional regulations to what it's already in place. Given the engagement that they've shown, some believe the regulatory path will be quicker in the US than in Europe, but that remains to be confirmed in the coming months.

In other locations, the technology is not as advanced and neither are regulations surrounding it. But some regions do accept products approved abroad, such as China, which will accept European regulatory approvals to commercialize certain products.

Will people want to eat it?

"Acceptance of clean meat seems to vary an awful lot between surveys. Some have shown as many as two-thirds of consumers saying they would eat clean meat, while others have shown as few as 16%," Chris Bryant, who researches acceptance of cultured meat at the University of Bath, told me.

The wording used to conduct the polls seems to have a huge influence on poll results, but the concerns of respondents are the same. "Some people think clean meat won't be as tasty as conventional meat, and others are concerned that it will be very expensive," said Bryant.
"A lot of people are worried that meat grown from cells is unnatural, and could have negative consequences as a result. Of course, people rarely consider that today's meat is far from natural! Animals are bred to grow unnaturally fast and large, and are pumped full of hormones and antibiotics to make them grow faster. Clean meat can actually avoid these practices."
People, however, seem to be increasingly aware of the issues with traditional farming. According to Rolland, the more people are aware about cultured meat and its advantages over farming, the more they are willing to buy and eat cultured meat.

Despite the unclear statistics - though still clearly higher than for eating insects in Western countries - most developers of cultured meat are confident that their product is wanted, and that acceptance will increase as cultured meat is no longer a novelty. Bryant believes just seeing the product in stores will make many people lean towards eating it.

"The most important things for producers to get right are product quality and price," said Bryant. "Many consumers are excited about this technology and will go out of their way to eat clean meat - but for the average person, they will not be willing to compromise on taste or pay more for clean meat."

What's beyond cultured meat?

One whole market that cultured meat could unlock is that of 'personalized nutrition.' Once we are able to fine-tune our ability to control the growth of meat, we could easily customize the nutrients of meat to a specific group of people, based on age, location or health conditions.

"For example, here in the Netherlands, where it's always dark, we could add vitamin D in your meat to supplement it," explained Luining. He also envisions a future where meat is grown inside big cities, removing the need to transport it and making it easier to tailor to the needs of the people that live there.

These are long-term visions, but Luining believes it's not too late to start working towards the future we want. A future where people are hungry for cultured meat.
Cover illustration by Elena Resko. Images via Mosa Meat, Aleph Farms, Meatable, and David Parry. This article was first published in December 2018; it has since been updated and republished.

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You Will Be Eating Cultured Meat Soon: Here's What You Need to Know

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Cultured meat promises to change the way we eat and help solve some of the big problems of a crowded planet. When will it be on our plate and how will this technology impact the world?