Test tube meat is still too expensive

The costs of producing MEAT from cell cultures are still many times higher than the costs of producing traditional meat products.

Source: www.fleischwirtschaft.de; AgE

This is the result of a recent market analysis by the Dutch consulting company CE Delft. According to the study, the production of meat in the laboratory is 100-10,000 times more expensive than the production of traditional goods. Therefore, in order to make "laboratory meat" competitive, it is necessary to significantly reduce production costs.

The most important cost factor is the culture medium and its growth factors and recombinant proteins, especially albumin. Even with a significant reduction in the need for nutrient media and a significant reduction in the cost of growth factors and proteins, the production of meat in the laboratory will still cost about 12.58 euros per kg, compared to 1.68 euros for conventional meat.

In order to further reduce costs, it is necessary to significantly reduce the previous requirements for the profitability of the respective investments. For example, the required payback period can be extended from four to 30 years to achieve significant cost savings. Thus, production costs can be reduced to 6.49 euros per kg.

The consultants suggest that part of the investment costs can be financed, for example, through EU subsidies under the Green Deal project. Non-commercial investors can also participate in relevant projects. In addition, it is necessary to reduce the cost of equipment for perfusion reactors. A number of improvements in the manufacturing process and the right choice of cell types are also needed, they said.