September 6, 2021

China-based CellX launches lab-grown pork

Chinese startup CellX has launched a selection of lab-grown pork dishes on September 3, and said it was aiming to produce the more environmentally friendly meat at competitive prices for the Chinese market by 2025.

Investors were invited to taste one of the prototypes produced in the company's Shanghai lab. The prototype was created from cells harvested from China's native black pig.

Cultured meat, or meat grown from animal muscle cells in a lab, could significantly reduce the environmental impact of farming animals, according to proponents, while also avoiding welfare issues and disease.

China, in particular, which consumed 86 million tonnes of meat in 2020 or about 30% of global demand, is in urgent need of a cleaner meat supply to meet its carbon goals, CellX said.

However, production costs in the nascent industry are still far higher than conventional protein.

CellX founder Yang Ziliang told Reuters that the company was aiming to be cost competitive with animal meat by 2025.

CellX, which raised US$4.3 million earlier this year and is now seeking fresh funding, is also eyeing the global market.

"Our vision is to change the way meat is produced. This isn't just a China issue, it's a global issue, so for us to achieve our vision, we need to be a global company," Yang said.

- Reuters