A research initiative focused on cultivated meat, spearheaded by a biotechnology company in Spain, has received a €2.7 million grant through the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and development program. The collaborative project, known as “Meat4All”, asserts that it represents the initial lab-grown meat research endeavor to secure public funding from the EU – a development they interpret as a clear indication of regional authorities’ dedication to the advancement of cultivated meat.

Ursula von der Leyen, President of the EU, has established a Green Deal as a central component of her policy agenda for the bloc, with the overarching objective of achieving “climate-neutrality” for the region by the year 2050. Simultaneously, conventional animal agriculture continues to be a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions – highlighting the necessity of re-evaluating Europe’s food production methods and dietary habits. Increased investment in renewable energy sources and enhancements to building insulation, areas to which the Commission has also committed, will not be sufficient to achieve critical climate goals. Consequently, opportunities are expanding for businesses within the region to innovate in the realm of meat alternatives, encompassing both cultivated meat and plant-based proteins.

The Meat4All project was awarded the Horizon 2020 grant in early August, though the announcement is only now being made public. BioTech Foods, based in San Sebastián, has been developing a pork-cell based product, Ethicameat, produced without slaughter since 2017, and is leading the consortium.

Organotechnie, a French biotechnology supplier, is also involved in the project.

The project’s objective is the “Industrialization and commercialization of a competitive, sustainable and consumer-focused alternative animal protein source”, with the proposal concentrating on advancements in cultured meat production technology; assessing market acceptance; and conducting safety evaluations to facilitate the introduction of more cultivated meat products to consumers.

In a released statement, Iñigo Charola, CEO of BioTech Foods, commented: “It is incredibly rewarding for the entire BioTech Foods team, and for our partners at Organotechnie, to receive this support from the European Union for our ‘Meat4All’ project. This marks the first instance of Europe demonstrably committing to cultivated meat. Cultured meat is poised to become a vital element of our future diets, and this is now also acknowledged by European institutions.”

The consortium’s key objectives include scaling up cultured meat production from kilograms to tonnes; preserving nutritional content during large-scale production; developing methods for culturing cells without the use of animal serum; and utilizing animal cells that have not undergone genetic modification.

Additional stated goals encompass the development of a competitively priced product and the execution of taste tests to gauge and forecast market demand.

“By expanding this technology, ‘Meat4All’ will establish a new area of development that will empower the European industry to capitalize on the substantial potential of this market, by promoting competitiveness and stimulating growth throughout the European Union,” the project representatives also stated in a press release, adding: “The primary challenge lies in achieving the production capacity required to supply the meat processing industry.”

While the Meat4All consortium has asserted its position as the first project to receive EU public funding, other initiatives have, in fact, secured support from the bloc’s budget in recent years – including a project named CCMeat, led by ORF Genetics in Iceland, which was awarded €2.5M in EU contribution; and another Spanish project, Cultured Beef, spearheaded by SME Greenfoods Network, which received €50,000 in EU funds during 2017-18.

This report has been updated to include additional details regarding other EU-funded projects