Lab-grown meat: Japan's NH Foods finds way to cut production costs

Discovery may slash production costs to 1/20th, company says

NH Foods says a new method of making cultivated meat may reduce production costs. (Photo courtesy of NH Foods)

ZHANG YAOYU, Nikkei staff writer

October 5, 2022 15:51 JST

OSAKA -- NH Foods said Tuesday that it has succeeded in producing lab-grown meat without using a serum derived from animal blood, in a step that could dramatically cut production costs and increase availability.

Animal serums are pricey and difficult to source reliably, posing a major hurdle for companies working to commercialize lab-grown meat. The Osaka-based company said it was able to reproduce chicken and bovine cells in a liquid containing materials derived from a commonly available food instead.