Overview

• Peer-reviewed research in 2024 showed Tufts University scientists growing bovine muscle cells on an edible, textured soy-protein scaffold that improves texture and could cut costs.
• EU regulators have not approved cultivated meat, and a September vote by Parliament’s agriculture committee to curb terms like “burger,” “sausage,” and “steak” for plant-based foods now heads to a plenary decision.
• Germany’s official figures underscore the market gap, with about 53.2 kilograms of conventional meat consumed per person versus roughly 1.5 kilograms of plant-based meat products produced per person in 2024.
• Two U.S. companies say they received 2023 USDA clearance to sell chicken made from animal cells, underscoring a regulatory split with Europe.
• Cultivated meat starts from cells taken from living donor animals, with researchers citing far fewer animals needed and potential environmental and health advantages, including tunable fatty-acid profiles and no routine antibiotics.