Future Meat Technologies opens ‘world’s first’ industrial cultured meat facility

Israeli start-up Future Meat Technologies has opened what it claims is the world’s first industrial cultured meat production facility in Israel, as it prepares for a US launch next year.

Located in Rehovot, Israel, the facility has the capacity to produce 500kg of cultured products a day – equivalent to 5,000 burgers, according to the company. The plant currently produces cultured chicken, pork and lamb (without the use of animal serum or genetic modification), with beef coming soon.

Future Meat Technologies is currently in the process of approving its production facility with regulatory agencies in multiple territories; but plans to launch its products in the US in 2022.

The cultured meat firm has also revealed that it is ‘eyeing’ several locations in the US for projected facility expansion.

Rom Kshuk, CEO of Future Meat Technologies, said: “This facility opening marks a huge step in Future Meat Technologies’ path to market, serving as a critical enabler to bring our products to shelves by 2022. Having a running industrial line accelerates key processes such as regulation and product development.”

Over the last two years, the company has secured several million dollars in a series of funding rounds, which it has used to support its efforts in building its pilot meat production facility.  

“After demonstrating that cultured meat can reach cost parity faster than the market anticipated, this production facility is the real game-changer,” said Yaakov Nahmias, founder and chief scientific officer of Future Meat Technologies.

He added: “This facility demonstrates our proprietary media rejuvenation technology in scale, allowing us to reach production densities ten-times higher than the industrial standard. Our goal is to make cultured meat affordable for everyone, while ensuring we produce delicious food that is both healthy and sustainable, helping to secure the future of coming generations.”

Future Meat Technologies says the facility supports its sustainable future efforts, claiming that its process is expected to generate 80% less greenhouse emissions and use 99% less land and 96% less freshwater than traditional meat production.