Page 34 - FoodFocusThailand No.206 MAY 2023

SPECIAL FOCUS

Regulation Although cultivated meat has similar
characteristics to conventionally farmed animal meat, it
is considered a novel food because the production
process has never been widely consumed before.
Therefore, safety studies on consumption are required.
Currently, only Singapore permits commercially selling
cultivated animal meat and only GOOD Meat’s cultivated
chicken has been authorized.

Situation of Animal Cultivation in Thailand
This is a relatively new topic in Thailand, as research in
this field has only started in the past 2-3 years i.e. the
veterinary research team from Chulalongkorn
University, which still needs a significant amount of time
to produce a product that could be tasted. On the other
hand, the private sector is relatively proactive on the
situation, as they invest in startups to access new
technologies, or co-develop products with the startups.
Examples include Thai Union Group Public Company
Limited, which has invested in BlueNalu from the United
States and Aleph Farm from Israel, and Charoen
Pokphand Foods Public Company Limited, which has
partnered with Future Meat Technology from Israel to
develop hybrid meat products made from both cultivated
animal tissue and plant protein. Additionally, Thai Foods
Group Public Company Limited has also collaborated
with Chulalongkorn University to research and
develop cultivated pork.
Cultivated Meat may be a main key to the sustainable
future of the food industry. The advancement of
tons per year, respectively. Additionally, large companies in technology, massive investments, and the awareness of
the food industry are starting to enter this new market as well, consumers have driven the development of the new
such as JBS, one of the world’s top protein companies, which food industry. However, it may take time for the industry
has announced its acquisition of BioTech Foods, a Spanish to grow and transform the entire food supply chain
startup, and established a research center for cultivated and ecosystem from those around animal feed and
protein in Brazil, with a total value of over $100 million. butchery facilities to animal cells and bioreactors. The
Givaudan, Buhler Group, and Migros have also announced changes will create a crisis for those who are unwilling to
their joint creation of an innovation center for cultivated food, learn and adapt, but also a great opportunity for those
which will help startups to access leading pilot-scale facilities, who are willing to do so.
receive consultation, and develop their products more easily.
Go-to-market and consumer acceptance Currently,
products are being made available for chefs to experiment
with and for consumers to taste, such as Aleph Farms from
Israel, which has opened a visitor center for guests to learn More Information Service Info C002
and taste product samples of its cultivated ribeye steak. GOOD
Meat from the United States has collaborated with Huber’s
Butchery in Singapore to offer cultivated chicken nuggets for
consumers to try, and Shiok Meats has unveiled its cultivated
shrimp at a tasting event in Singapore. According to surveys,
consumers in many countries are interested in trying cultivated
meat, such as Germans (57%), Italians (55%), Spaniards
(65%), and Indians (56%). However, replacing conventionally เอกสารอ้างอิง / References
farmed animal meat with cultivated meat is not an easy task Good Food Institute (2022). “2022 State of the industry report
because, besides having to develop product quality and safety – Cultivated meat and seafood”.
to be comparable, the cost is also a crucial factor. Currently, Good Food Institute (2021). “2021 State of the industry report
the cost of producing cultivated meat is around $10 per – Cultivated meat and seafood”.
kilogram and might go down to about $5.6 per kilogram by Krungthai Compass (2022). Thailand Plus. บทความออนไลน์ เรื่่�อง
2030, which will be close to the price of conventionally farmed “ทำาความรื่้�จััก Cultivated meat แหล่งโปรื่ตีีนใหม่แห่งโลกอนาคตี”.
animal meat. Our World in Data

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