The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) has approved the sale of a lab-grown meat product.
This is the first time cultured meat has been cleared for sale anywhere in the world.
The product approved by the SFA is cultured chicken, produced by US-based East Just.
Difference between lab-grown meat and plant-based meat
The latter is made from plant sources such as soy or pea protein, while cultured meat is grown directly from cells in a laboratory.
Both have the same objectives: To offer alternatives to traditional meat products that could feed a lot more people, reduce the threat of zoonotic diseases, and mitigate the environmental impact of meat consumption.
In terms of cellular structure, cultured meat is the same as conventional meat except that cultured meat does not come directly from animals.
Benefits: (1) Cultivated meat could reduce land use by more than 95%; (2) It could reduce climate change emissions by 74-87% and nutrient pollution by 94%; (3) The risk of contamination by pathogens such as salmonella and E coli is significantly reduced; (4) It does not require antibiotics thereby reducing the threat posed to public health by growing antibiotic resistance.
