4-3-2024 (SINGAPORE) The pioneering venture into cultivated meat by Californian company Eat Just, celebrated as the world’s first approved cell-based meat product in 2020, has hit a temporary pause.
The company’s cultivated chicken products, branded as Good Meat, have disappeared from Huber’s Bistro, formerly the exclusive outlet for this innovative food. Checks by ST indicate the closure of the Good Meat production facility in Bedok, initially scheduled for a third-quarter launch in 2023.
Responding to inquiries, an Eat Just spokeswoman mentioned ongoing evaluations of processing conditions, unit economics, and a broader strategic approach to production in Asia. Huber’s Bistro had ceased serving kebab skewers and chicken salads made with Good Meat in December 2023, intending to reintroduce the product when supply becomes available.
Despite an initial offering since January 2023, the $61 million Good Meat manufacturing facility in Bedok seems non-operational. Visits to Bedok Food City on Feb 29 revealed closed units, unused for around six months, with air-purifying equipment and benches piled outside.
Notably, the separate commercial manufacturing facility that previously produced Eat Just’s cultivated chicken products has also ceased production.
Cultivated meat involves growing animal cells in a bioreactor, resembling brewing vats, as an alternative to traditional slaughtering methods. Advocates claim it to be a more sustainable method, requiring less land and labor for large-scale production.
Regarding the Bedok facility’s delay, Eat Just’s spokeswoman acknowledged a lack of a firm timeline for operation. She noted intermittent production pauses since the product’s debut, expressing plans to increase production in Singapore this year significantly.
Alongside cultivated meat, Eat Just’s plant-based egg business in Singapore appears stalled. Initially announcing a plant-protein factory in Pioneer in March 2022, the company denied any such plans on March 1, 2024.
This production hiatus in Singapore coincides with international reports of legal and financial challenges faced by Eat Just. A legal dispute over unpaid invoices with a former partner and a $100 million lawsuit from a bioreactor manufacturer were reported in February and September 2023, respectively.
Eat Just gained global attention in 2020 as its chicken bites became the first cultivated meat product approved for sale in Singapore. Despite initial sales at Robertson Quay’s 1880 members’ club and subsequent availability on foodpanda and limited hawker stalls, the company’s current challenges underscore the complexities of transitioning consumers to trust and afford cultivated meat.
The market potential, as estimated by McKinsey in a 2021 report, could reach $25 billion by 2030. However, challenges include establishing consumer trust, ensuring affordability comparable to conventional meat, and overcoming the high cost of culture medium – a nutrient broth crucial for cell multiplication in tissue formation.
Professor William Chen, director of Nanyang Technological University’s food science and technology programme, highlighted the need for renewable energy sources to counter the energy-intensive nature of cultivated meat production. Despite the challenges, he remains optimistic about the industry’s potential to provide a viable alternative to traditional meat.
