54 percent respondents are willing to try this type of product, and 25 percent would consider replacing some of the meat they currently eat. According to 49 percent respondents, the amount of traditional meat currently consumed in Poland is too high. The same percentage of respondents declare that they plan to eat less meat or not eat it at all in the next two years.
How is cellular meat grown?
Cell cultured meat it is produced by taking a small sample of animal cells and growing them in cultivators, similar to fermenters used in beer production. This process recreates the same biological functions that occur in the animal’s body, providing the necessary temperature and essential nutrients such as water, proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals. Various types of meat can be produced using this method, including poultry, pork, beef and seafood.
Even though cell-cultured meat is a new food product, 40 percent respondents declare that they already know the method of its production, and 16 percent claims to have considerable knowledge on the subject. According to 56 percent respondents, it should be allowed for sale in Poland if it passes food safety assessment by regulatory authorities. Additionally, 51 percent respondents believe it should be produced domestically to benefit our economy. 39 percent Poles agree that decision-makers should invest in research and development of cell-cultured meat.
Packaging with information about the type of meat
More than half (58%) of respondents believe that the decision to approve cell-cultured meat should be independent of any commercial interests. 72 percent respondents believe that the packaging of cell-cultured meat products should contain terms associated with traditional meat (such as “chicken”, “burger” or “sausage”), but with a clear indication that they do not come from animal breeding – e.g. “cellular chicken nuggets, produced without animal husbandry.”
The study was commissioned by the Good Food Institute, an international non-profit organization working for sustainable food production. It was conducted in the form of an online survey on April 15-22, 2024 by YouGov Deutschland GmbH on a representative group of 1,006 people from Poland aged over 18.
Development of start-ups producing cellular meat
More than 50 start-ups in Europe are involved in the production of cellular meat, including a company in Poland LabFarm. Less than 2 years after opening the laboratory in Warsaw’s Wilanów, she managed to produce a prototype of a meat ball made of cellular poultry meat. The meat has been heat treated. The prototype was presented a few days ago during the ProVeg New Food Forum.
According to scientists from Lab Farm, through the production of cell-cultured meat it will be possible to meet the growing demand for protein while increasing food security. Existing research suggests that cell-cultured meat may require significantly fewer resources and generate fewer greenhouse gas emissions than conventional animal agriculture.
Animal food from a petri dish
Due to the lack of legal regulations in Poland and in the European Union regarding the use of cellular meat, the company’s management board decided to expand the company’s activities also in pet food sector. Animal food market is developing very dynamically, and the support of pet owners regarding the use of cellular meat for food production is high – LabFarm told PAP.
LabFarm representatives have already concluded talks with a British partner who is interested in purchasing Polish cellular meat for the production of high-quality pet food.
Legal status of cell-cultured meat in the EU and worldwide
Before it can be sold in any of the EU’s 27 member states, cell-cultured meat must remain approved in accordance with EU novel food rules. Such meat has already been approved for sale in the United States and Singapore, and the first applications for approval have been submitted to food safety regulators in the United Kingdom and Switzerland. (PAP)
author: Anna Wysoczańska
