A new briefing from the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (POST) has shone a spotlight on cultivated meat, highlighting both its promise and the many challenges it faces. The impartial report provides a timely overview of current scientific understanding, identifies knowledge gaps, and considers the broader implications for the food industry, public health, society, the environment, and the UK economy.
The report was authored by Shirin Bamezai, who has been serving as the IFST-POST Fellow over recent months. Each year, IFST sponsors the POST Fellowship, which is open to PhD students from UK universities who are researching a food science and technology topic. The fellowship offers a unique insight into the epicentre of policymaking, giving fellows the opportunity to produce their own POSTnote, a report covering a topic relevant to their area of expertise.
An Evolving Policy Landscape
The publication of this POSTnote comes on the heels of a significant announcement from the Food Standards Agency (FSA), which, in March 2025, launched a government-funded programme to evaluate the safety of cultivated meat products for human consumption. Backed by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), the initiative underscores growing interest in novel proteins at the highest levels of government.
Between 2020 and 2024, the UK committed £75 million to alternative protein research -including cultivated meat - making it the second-largest public investor in this area across Europe, surpassed only by Denmark. In early 2025, the UK also became the first European country to permit the sale of cultivated meat, albeit currently limited to a hybrid pet food product comprising mostly plant proteins and a small proportion of cultivated chicken cells.
What Products Are Available?
At present, fully cultivated meat products for human consumption remain largely experimental and commercially limited. Most offerings are “hybrids” - plant-based foods enriched with a modest proportion of cultivated animal cells. One such example is Vow’s alternative foie gras, composed of 51% cultivated quail cells and available in select restaurants in Singapore and Hong Kong.
As the technology matures, researchers are investigating how cultivated meat can be tailored to meet different consumer demands - from fast-food-style nuggets and burgers to premium products that mimic steak.
Remarkably, the concept of cultivated meat is not entirely new. In a 1931 essay titled Fifty Years Hence, Winston Churchill envisioned a future in which “we shall escape the absurdity of growing a whole chicken in order to eat the breast or wing, by growing these parts separately under a suitable medium.” Nearly a century later, his prediction appears increasingly prescient.
Key Findings from the POST Briefing
The POST report provides an impartial synthesis of the latest developments in cultivated meat research, with several key themes emerging:
- Technical hurdles: Considerable progress has been made, but scaling up production remains a major challenge.
- Consumer attitudes: Public understanding and acceptance of cultivated meat are still evolving.
- Impact on farming: With livestock farming contributing 62% of the UK’s rural economy (valued at £19.2 billion), the shift to cultivated meat could have wide-reaching consequences for rural communities.
- Environmental factors: Cultivated meat may offer benefits in terms of land use and emissions, but current estimates are uncertain and vary significantly.
- Nutritional value: While initial data are promising, more research is needed to fully assess the health profile of cultivated meat products.
The report was informed by input from a diverse range of stakeholders, including the National Farmers Union (NFU), British Meat Processors Association, cultivated meat companies, academics, think tanks, and NGOs such as the Good Food Institute.
IFST’s Role in Supporting Policy Engagement
The Institute of Food Science and Technology (IFST) played a pivotal role in bringing this work to fruition, having funded the POST Fellowship responsible for developing the briefing.
Craig Leadley, IFST Chief Executive, commented:
“It is brilliant to read this fascinating POST report about such a meaty topic. By funding this placement, IFST is helping to ensure that academics can use their valuable research skills to bring reliable, impartial evidence into Parliament, something that is vital in today’s information landscape.”
Dr Lauren Sullivan MP, Chair of the POST Board, added:
“This report is a POST classic – it condenses huge amounts of research evidence into a concise and digestible report, making it accessible to anyone who wants to know more. The jury is still out on the overall benefits and risks of cultivated meat, but there is certainly evidence to suggest that it is worth exploring this futuristic technology in more detail.”