A US firm has announced it has created poultry without the use of animals. Memphis Meats says it is the first company to make poultry in this way, including both chicken and duck. It has dubbed the synthesised meat ‘clean’ poultry.
Chicken is the most popular protein in America, where consumers eat an average of about 90 pounds per year, and represents an annual market of $90 billion domestically. Duck has a deep significance in many regions including mainland China, which consumes more than 6 billion pounds per year, more than the rest of the world combined. For the first time in history, both have been produced directly from poultry cells.
“It is thrilling to introduce the first chicken and duck that didn’t require raising animals. This is a historic moment for the clean meat movement,” said Uma Valeti co-founder and CEO of Memphis Meats. “Chicken and duck are at the centre of the table in so many cultures around the world, but the way conventional poultry is raised creates huge problems for the environment, animal welfare, and human health. It is also inefficient. We aim to produce meat in a better way, so that it is delicious, affordable and sustainable. We really believe this is a significant technological leap for humanity, and an incredible business opportunity—to transform a giant global industry while contributing to solving some of the most urgent sustainability issues of our time.”
The team expects to continue reducing production costs dramatically, with a target launch of its products to consumers in 2021.
Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, Memphis Meats is developing methods to produce meat directly from animal cells, without the need to feed, breed or slaughter animals.