Last week, I was glad to accept an invitation from Japan to catch up via a Tokyo-based webinar on how they view the development of artificial meat.

This is different from the vegetarian-type burgers that we hear so much about and whose share price has recently collapsed because of an inability to back up health and sustainability claims.

The artificial meat is grown in a special chamber using actual animal cells and multiplying them up by supplying the necessary carbohydrates, proteins and minerals.

Japan is among the most technologically developed countries in the world and of course is a massive importer of meat

It is a highly sophisticated process, and at this stage, a very expensive one.

Japan is among the most technologically developed countries in the world and of course is a massive importer of meat – both pigmeat and beef.

This development is being driven by an urge to reduce methane output from live-stock production and if sustainable non-fossil fuel produced energy becomes widespread, then in time it may become a serious competitor.

The technical problems in producing a steak are very real, with the challenge of getting the essential growing medium properly formulated and then obtaining regulatory approval to actually put the product on the market.

we should not underestimate the amount of cash going into the work from companies such as Nestlé, Cargill and Tyson

So far, Singapore is the only jurisdiction that has given this type of ‘meat’ regulatory approval and at this stage, the target market is the food service end of the business.

That said, we should not underestimate the amount of cash going into the work from companies such as Nestlé, Cargill and Tyson. While the costs of producing a beef burger from this cellular technology are many multiples of the normal product at the moment, this does not mean that they won’t fall as fermentation technology develops and the processes are better understood.

I was certain that the development of cellular meat should be followed

While the beef industry, unlike the dairy sector, has been very slow to promote the health and environmental benefits of red meat, there is still expected to be a major growth in demand over the coming decades, with nutritionists increasingly confident of the importance of red meat in the diet for essential iron and vitamins, especially for children and older people.

At the end of the event, I was certain that the development of cellular meat should be followed and while it may be too early to be alarmed, we want to ensure that meat does not go the same way as wool.