Singapore has given US start-up Eat Just the green-light to sell its lab-grown chicken meat, in what the firm says is the world’s first regulatory approval for so-called clean meat that does not come from slaughtered animals.

A fillet of lab-grown cultured chicken developed by Eat Just is pictured in this handout photo. (Photo: Reuters)

The first-in-the-world regulatory allowance of real, high-quality meat created directly from animal cells for safe human consumption paves the way for a forthcoming small-scale commercial launch in Singapore of Eat Just’s new brand, the firm said in a statement on 2 December.

The meat, to be sold as nuggets, was initially priced at about 50 USD per piece. However, co-founder and CEO Josh Tetrick said the price has been lowered to premium chicken prices when it is first launched in a restaurant in Singapore in the very near term

It is targeting profitability at an operating income level before the end of 2021, he added.

Demand for alternatives to regular meat is surging due to concerns about health, animal welfare and the environment. Plant-based substitutes, popularised by the likes of Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods, increasingly feature on supermarket shelves and restaurant menus.

But so-called clean or cultured meat is still at a nascent stage given high production costs.

A study found that the market for alternative meat could swell to 140 billion USD by 2029.

Source: VNA