The company is able to produce cultivated chicken at $11.79 per pound at scale and reveals a first behind-the-scenes look of the full production process
(PRUnderground) November 7th, 2024
SuperMeat, the only company to produce chicken meat composed of muscle and fat directly from animal cells, has announced groundbreaking innovations to make cultivated chicken affordable. With fat produced in 24 hours and muscle in 4 days, SuperMeat is able to deliver high yields at unprecedented speed. These advancements allow SuperMeat to produce chicken at $11.79 per pound at scale, on par with pasture-raised premium chicken in the U.S. This breakthrough marks a crucial step toward the commercialization of cultivated chicken.
High Cell Densities Reached and Maintained Over Long Periods
SuperMeat has developed a robust cell line that reaches industry-leading densities of 80 million cells per milliliter in just 9 days—without genetic modifications or animal components. This fast-growing, high-density culture is maintained over extended periods, ensuring a continuous production cycle that enables consistent high yields.
Animal-Free, Cost-Efficient Cell Feed
SuperMeat has significantly reduced media costs to under $0.50/L by replacing expensive animal-based ingredients, such as serum and albumin, with affordable animal-free alternatives. After 6 days in culture, the cells independently produce essential Growth Factors, allowing for a reduced feeding regimen of only 1.5 vessel volumes per day, making the entire process more efficient and cost-effective.
Efficient Tissue Differentiation for Greater Volumes in Short Cycles
SuperMeat’s ability to increase cell weight lies in its use of embryonic stem cells, enabling the production of both muscle and fat tissues directly from animal cells. Muscle and fat cells are nearly double in size, cutting costs by almost 50%. Fat is produced within just 24 hours and muscle in 4 days—leading to faster production cycles and higher volumes. This approach delivers the full sensory experience of chicken, providing the texture, taste, and nutrition consumers expect from real meat, while advancing cost efficiency at scale.
These accomplishments, showcased in SuperMeat’s latest report, represent major milestones in the effort to make cultivated meat both accessible and affordable for consumers globally. By achieving these milestones, SuperMeat has fine-tuned its process to efficiently grow cells in large amounts. This balance of high yields and reduced resources enables the company to produce cultivated chicken at just $11.79 per pound at scale, making it a commercially viable alternative to conventional meat.
A High-Yield Process that Delivers More Meat, Faster
SuperMeat’s process begins with a 9-day cell growth phase to reach high cell densities, followed by a 45-day period where meat mass is harvested daily while the remaining cells continue to grow. In a compact 10-liter bioreactor run, this continuous process produces approximately 66 pounds of cultivated chicken, demonstrating the high efficiency of the system, which requires minimal space and resources compared to conventional methods. Once the continuous process is established, SuperMeat can produce 3 pounds of meat—the equivalent amount of edible meat received from slaughtering one chicken—in 2 days, compared to the 42 days it takes to raise and process a traditional chicken. Additionally, with current production parameters, cultivating 1 kg (2.2 pounds) of chicken requires 80% less land than conventional chicken farming.
When scaled to an industrial plant, SuperMeat’s process is projected to produce 3 million kilograms (6.7 million pounds) of cultivated chicken per year, equivalent to around 2.7 million chickens. Achieving this with traditional farming methods would demand vast resources, including extensive land and infrastructure for farming.
“Current sentiment around cultivated meat includes skepticism regarding its scalability and market readiness, with concerns that cultivated meat may be more hype than a viable alternative,” said Ido Savir, CEO and Co-Founder of SuperMeat. “Our new report provides proof that with the right technology there is a commercially viable path to market. We see a tremendous opportunity for affordable cultivated chicken meat that supplies the same delicious taste and nutrition as premium chicken, which is a path for consumer and market acceptance and long-term adoption.”
This behind-the-scenes access is part of the company’s broader effort to educate and engage both consumers and businesses, as 64% of U.S. consumers remain unfamiliar with cultivated meat. By making its process transparent, SuperMeat is leading the way toward a more sustainable, animal-friendly food system.
About SuperMeat
SuperMeat is a pioneering food-tech company with a mission to supply the world with high-quality, cultivated chicken meat. The company’s products deliver a true meat experience, packed with the same nutrition and taste consumers love, without the need for slaughter. SuperMeat is the first company to offer a full range of cultivated chicken meat, including both muscle and fat tissues. With its cutting-edge production plant, SuperMeat is at the forefront of this emerging industry, making cultivated meat commercially viable. Learn more at supermeat.com.
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Original Press Release.
