Earlier this week, Fred Wilkinson, our managing editor, reported on a company that is poised to bring cultured poultry to the U.S. market, initially rolling into foodservice followed by retail (see “SuperMeat plans U.S. rollout for cultured poultry”). This is a path SuperMeat—and the lab-grown, in vitro meat and poultry sector at large—has been traveling for several years now.

But activity is bubbling up again, pointing toward micro-trend potential. We have recently seen some stronger momentum in this new market, with reports of research related to a wider variety of meats in process, including seasonal/game options, seafood, etc., including a recent cultured seafood project at Tufts University (see “Wanda Fish Technologies collaborates with Tufts University”).

Companies operating in the cultured meat sector cite a mission tied to growing animal protein in a sustainable and/or more-humane process. From a scientific perspective, these proteins meat, so the appeal for the growing vegan and vegetarian market is still in question. However, a broader market of sustainability-minded flexitarians might be just the sweet spot these new industry players need to maintain the products’ commercial viability.

Does this sector have long-term, mainstream viability? Will people accept “cultured meat” product labeling? (See the USDA-FSIS Federal Register notice for details: “Labeling of Meat or Poultry Products Comprised of or Containing Cultured Animal Cells.”)

What are your thoughts on cultured meat, poultry, and seafood?

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