Think Tank BLOG: What if your steak never saw a farm?
Cultured meat is coming – but are we ready to take a bite?
You’re standing in your kitchen, about to prepare dinner. On the counter lies a package labeled simply: “meat.” No animal was slaughtered to produce it. No fields were cleared for grazing. Instead, this meat was grown cell by cell in a controlled environment until it became indistinguishable from the real thing.
This isn’t science fiction. It’s the promise of cultured meat, and it’s coming faster than most of us realize. But are we ready for it?
A new kind of meat and a new kind of question
Cultured meat, also known as cultivated or clean meat, is created by growing animal cells in bioreactors rather than raising and slaughtering animals. It offers the same taste and texture as traditional meat but with a fraction of the environmental impact. For animal welfare advocates and environmentalists, it sounds like a dream come true. But for many consumers, the idea of meat grown outside of a farm still feels strange, even unnatural.
Openness to cultured meat in selected countries
Why are we still unsure?
Surveys across Europe reveal a mixed picture. Demographics play crucial role. Younger, urban, and highly educated individuals tend to be more curious and receptive. People already interested in food innovation or sustainability are more likely to give cultured meat a chance. Meanwhile, traditional meat lovers remain the hardest group to convince. For them, meat isn’t just about nutrition – it’s about tradition, taste, and cultural identity.
Although cultivated meat is biologically indistinguishable from its conventional counterpart, many consumers continue to view it as synthetic or artificial, frequently labelling it as “lab-grown.” This perception is deeply rooted in how food is traditionally understood, especially meat, which is expected to come from a living animal, not a bioreactor. The unfamiliar production process triggers skepticism, particularly around long-term health implications.
What do the experts say?
In this video, Emilia Nordlund, Research Manager at VTT and member of the EIT Food Protein Diversification Think Tank, shares her insights on cultured meat and answers the most pressing questions.
Early adopters are essential. They are the first to try, to trust, and to drive momentum for cultured meat. As the technology scales, it will help make these products more affordable and accessible to a wider group of consumers over time.
But what will be the deciding factor?
While affordability is crucial for accessibility, it’s taste that will ultimately determine whether consumers come back for more.
The power of words
Language plays a surprisingly powerful role in shaping how people perceive new food innovations like cultured meat. The words we choose can evoke curiosity and openness, or trigger scepticism and resistance. Studies show that terms such as “clean meat” and “cell-based meat” tend to generate far more positive responses from consumers than phrases like “lab-grown” or “artificial meat.” The latter are often associated with unnaturalness, industrial processes, and even science fiction, which can reinforce fears about safety and authenticity.
By contrast, “clean meat” suggests a product that is healthier and better for the environment, while “cell-based meat” feels more technical yet neutral. This highlights how important framing is in public communication.
When we talk about cultured meat, it's not just about the words we use; it's about the whole story we tell. Visuals matter just as much as language. If we keep showing test tubes and bioreactors, we reinforce the idea that this is not "real food", but at the same time, we must remain transparent about the method and origin.
Building trust
Trust is everything when it comes to what we eat.
Today, scientists are generally seen as credible messengers. They’re perceived as competent and motivated by public interest. Food companies, however, face more scepticism. Many consumers believe they are driven by profit rather than principles. Regulators are trusted for their intentions, but are often questioned on their ability to keep pace with new technologies.
To overcome these hurdles, companies need to embrace transparency. Showing how cultured meat is made, partnering with respected scientists, and creating opportunities for people to see and taste the products themselves could go a long way toward building confidence.
Most studies on consumer perception so far have been conducted without participants ever seeing, touching, or tasting a real product. Yet whenever people do get that chance, their views often shift , and many of their initial concerns fade away. As humans, we’re wired to be cautious about the unfamiliar, but once we can see, smell, cook, and taste cultured meat ourselves, our opinions will be shaped by experience rather than fear.
A future on our plates
Cultured meat is not just a technological innovation. It challenges our deeply held ideas about food, farming, and what it means to eat meat. Its success depends not only on science but on the stories, the way we talk about it, the emotions it evokes, and the trust it builds.
Perhaps one day soon, the package simply labeled “cultured meat” on your kitchen counter won’t raise any questions at all. It will feel as ordinary as milk in your fridge or bread on your table. And we may wonder why we ever did it any other way.
The road ahead
For cultured meat to succeed, it must deliver on three fronts: taste, price, and trust. It needs to taste just like or better than conventional meat, cost no more than people are willing to pay, and feel as familiar and safe as any product at the butcher’s counter.
New insights from the EIT Food Consumer Observatory reinforce the importance of cultural context in the adoption of sustainable meat alternatives. Two newly published studies:
- More than Meat: Unpacking Cultural Perceptions of Meat and Sustainable Alternatives in Europe uses semiotic analysis, cultural anthropology, and qualitative research to explore the deeper cultural meanings of meat consumption and production for consumers;
- Reimagining Protein: Consumer Perceptions of Cultivated Meat explores how to unlock the full promise of cultivated meat, offering insights into how to build consumer trust in the safety, healthiness, and environmental benefits of cultivated meat products;
provide essential findings and recommendations for the industry on how to reposition sustainable meat alternatives as natural, safe, innovative alternatives for European consumers, bridging the gap between consumer curiosity and conversion.
For cultured meat to become a meaningful part of everyday diets, it must move beyond the image of “lab food” and tap into the symbolic value of meat as something social, ethical, and celebratory. The research recommends shifting communication away from overly technical or industrial narratives. Instead, it calls for storytelling that is transparent, emotionally engaging, and centred on people, both consumers and producers.
To build consumer trust in cultivated meat we must speak to people's values, not just their intellect. Familiar taste and environmental benefits may spark interest, but it is only through building culturally resonant narratives that we will truly gain consumer confidence.
Some of the scaleups and startups working on cultured meat in the EIT Food network:
Mosa Meat (Netherlands)
Mosa Meat’s key competencies include: beef cultivation; cell biology; tissue engineering; custom bioreactor design; biomaterial engineering; cell culture; sustainability; health; taste optimisation; and scalable bioprocesses.
One of EIT Food's RisingFoodStars and participants of the EIT Food Accelerator Network.
Mewery (Czech Republic)
Mewery is developing cultivated pork products using a unique hybrid culture medium based on microalgae, which sets them apart in the field. The company’s mission is to free animals from slaughter and offer a compassionate, sustainable alternative to conventional meat. Their process eliminates antibiotics and incorporates vitamins and nutrients from microalgae, addressing both health and environmental concerns.
Participants of the EIT Food Accelerator Network.
Quest (UK)
Quest is developing edible microcarriers, ingredients that enable cultivated meat cells to grow efficiently and cost-effectively in large bioreactors. Their technology aims to make cultured meat affordable, scalable, and sustainable
Participants of the EIT Food Accelerator Network.
FORMeat (Germany)
Based in Aachen, this startup focuses on scaffolding technology designed to replicate the taste and texture of real meat.
Participants of EIT Food’s Seedbed.
Peace of Meat (Belgium)
Specializing in cultured fat, Peace of Meat enhances flavor and mouthfeel in alternative meat products. They've successfully hosted a public tasting and are scaling towards a goal of 100,000 tons of production annually
One of EIT Food's RisingFoodStars and participants of the EIT Food Accelerator Network.
Gourmey (France)
This Paris-based startup creates cultivated foie gras, developed in collaboration with Michelin-starred chefs. They’ve already applied for market authorisation in the EU, Singapore, the US, UK, and Switzerland.
Participants of the EIT Food Accelerator Network.
A growing conversation
To accelerate this transition, the EIT Food Protein Diversification Think Tank and the EIT Food Consumer Observatory have developed a fact sheet packed with insights on cultured meat’s potential, barriers to adoption, and strategies to build lasting consumer trust.
We invite stakeholders and consumers across the agrifood value chain to download the fact sheet and discover how targeted communication, smart product innovation and consumer insights can bring cultured meat into everyday diets.
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