It’s much hyped in the media and flavor of the month among investors, but how viable are cell-based meats as a ‘clean protein’ source to tackle global demand. None of these prototypes have moved into the commercial market yet. High costs have been cited as a major reason for this. A similar pattern was observed for Future Meat Technologies. The report cited a company’s current production costs at $795 per kg of minced meat as of May 2018, but this was predicted to drop to $5.00 to $9.90) by 2020. To meet commercial needs, companies are looking at developing ‘immortalized’ cell lines, which could involve GMO. All challenges aside, the authors advocated for more customer education prior to market entry if the cell-based sector is to enjoy any sort of mainstream success. It is unclear whether consumers will embrace the products. Perceptions of unnaturalness and fear of unfamiliar foods could compromise adoption.
Source: foodnavigator.com
Lightbulb Moment: With all of the obstacles – cost, production, consumer acceptance – is this another example of technology for technology’s sake? Just cause it can be done … should it? Interested in learning where this and other trends stand with consumers? That’s where Culinary Tides, Inc. comes in.