The demand for cultured meat has been gaining traction over the years, responding to the growing interest among consumers. While some people are preferring these non-GMO products in support of animal welfare, and to jumpstart a healthier lifestyle like becoming vegan or vegetarian. This has currently garnered the attention of many big companies, seeing opportunities in this area of food tech.

Nestle is now exploring emerging, breakthrough technologies that allow them to produce cultured meat and ingredients that comprise it. Scientists at their Lausanne-based research labs are collaborating with cultured-meat start-up Future Meat Technologies to focus on non-GMO components. These are created from animal cells instead.

Reinhard Behringer, Head of the Nestlé Institute of Material Sciences at Nestlé Research says: “For many years we have been investing in our protein expertise and the development of proprietary technologies for plant-based meat alternatives, allowing us to continuously expand our wide range of tasty and nutritious products with a lower environmental impact. To complement these efforts, we’re also exploring technologies that could lead to animal-friendly alternatives that are nutritious, sustainable, and close to meat in terms of taste, flavor, and texture. We are excited to understand their potential.”

Welcoming novel technologies and innovations is a key for Nestle, allowing them to create their own non-GMO ingredients that can help expand their current product offerings.