UK and South Korea boost cultivated meat research, global picture remains patchy

Regulators in several countries are slowly recognizing the potential for cultivated meat to revolutionize the pet food industry.

Among the latest developments are significant government investments in research and development programs to help startups in the lab-grown meat space enhance their product development.

UK sandbox

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has launched a 2-year sandbox program to help manufacturers get to the market quicker and without some of the high costs usually associated with new regulatory approvals.

Focused on the broader use of cultivated meat, the $1.6 million ($2.1M/€1.9M) funding from the UK government’s Department of Science, Innovation and Technology will assist not just UK companies but participants from the US, Australia, France, the Netherlands, Israel and others. 

The UK became the first country to approve a cultivated meat product for sale when Meatly was given the go-ahead to launch its Chick Bites treats at Pets at Home. 

For Dutch company Mosa Meat, participation in the UK sandbox is a major boost as it awaits authorization to sell its cultivated beef in the European Union and Switzerland. In February, the firm crowdfunded £3.2 million ($4.2M/€3.7M) in just 24 minutes as investors bought into its vision of becoming a leader in the industry.

“We are honored to be one of the few included in this government-funded collaborative program, and excited to contribute the knowledge of our 70+ scientists toward a co-learning process that benefits the Food Standards Agency and other cultivated meat and seafood companies,” says the company’s Chief Scientific Officer Dr. Mark Post.

New research center in South Korea

South Korea also aims to be a global innovator in cultivated meat. The Food Tech Research Support Center will open in 2027 after the country’s Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs successfully enters it into a competition.

South Korean firm Cellmeat is awaiting approval to launch the country’s first cultivated meat product.

Meanwhile, a $11 million (€9.7M) research center in China has opened in Beijing. It’s a joint venture between the local government and Shounong Food Group, focusing on fermentation and cultivated meat.

In the US

However, while Europe and Asia appear keen to push ahead with food security and sustainability solutions, the US has mixed opinions. 

At the federal level, the US Department of Agriculture approved the production of lab-grown meat in 2023, with Upside Foods and Good Meat given the green light.

But there is pushback. In February this year, the House of Representatives introduced the “Right to Eat Authentic and Legitimate Meat Act of 2025” (REAL Meat Act), which would prohibit the use of federal funds to support cell-cultured meat, including research and promotion.

Florida became the first state to ban cultivated meat in 2024, just after new resident and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos announced a $60 million (€53M) investment to establish Bezos Centers for Sustainable Protein. 

However, California’s Friends & Family Pet Food Company expects to launch its cultivated fish protein pet treats this year in collaboration with Singaporean firm Umami Bioworks.