Updated: 17 September 2026 la 11:18. Articolul a fost revizuit pentru a reflecta informațiile disponibile la această dată.
Lab-grown meat, or cultivated meat, is no longer the stuff of science fiction. Over the past two decades, researchers and food companies around the world have made huge strides in developing this technology. Instead of slaughtering animals, meat can be produced from stem cells in bioreactors. But how close are we to seeing this meat on supermarket shelves in Romania? And, more importantly, how safe, sustainable and acceptable is it to consumers?
What is lab-grown meat?
Lab-grown meat is an animal-derived product, but it does not come from the slaughter of an entire animal. It is produced by taking stem cells from the muscles of a living animal. Those cells are then cultivated in a controlled environment, where they are fed nutrients until they develop into muscle tissue—that is, meat.
The difference from vegetarian alternatives such as soy, tofu and plant-based burgers is fundamental: this is real meat, with the same nutritional properties and taste. Only the method of production differs.
Benefits of cultivated meat
- Without cruelty: there is no need to kill animals.
- Lower carbon emissions: industrial meat production is one of the world’s main polluters.
- Resource savings: less water, farmland and animal feed are needed.
- Food safety: meat without antibiotics, hormones or diseases such as salmonella.
- Nutritional customisation: in the future, meat could be “designed” for specific nutritional needs.
Current drawbacks and challenges
Although promising, the technology is not without problems:
- High cost: in 2013, the first lab-grown burger cost €250,000. The cost has now fallen below €10, but mass production is still expensive.
- Social acceptance: many people still reject the idea of “artificial meat”.
- Slow regulation: only a few countries allow this meat to be sold commercially.
- Limited production: only a few start-ups can produce it at industrial scale.
Who produces lab-grown meat?
More than 150 companies worldwide are investing heavily in this technology. The most significant include:
- Eat Just (US): the first company to receive approval to sell cultivated meat in Singapore (2020).
- Upside Foods: develops cultivated chicken and beef, already approved for testing in the US.
- Mosa Meat (the Netherlands): the company that created the first lab-grown burger.
In Europe, legislation is stricter and the authorisation process can take several years. Cultivated meat is considered a “novel food” and must be approved by EFSA, the European Food Safety Authority.
Romania: where do we stand?
In Romania, cultivated meat is not yet commercially available. No restaurant or supermarket offers it, and local legislation has not yet adapted clear rules for this technology. However, there is interest among researchers and some start-ups in Cluj and Bucharest that are testing related technologies: alternative proteins, food biotechnology and animal cell cultures.
The Ministry of Agriculture has not yet issued an official position, but food-industry specialists say that Romania will have to align with European rules, especially if cultivated meat becomes mainstream in the coming years.
Is lab-grown meat safe to eat?
Studies conducted so far show that this meat is as nutritious as traditional meat and even cleaner. It contains no dangerous bacteria, does not require antibiotics and can be produced in a sterile environment.
However, as in any new field, full long-term safety can be demonstrated only through time, research and sustained consumption. EFSA and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) impose strict approval regulations, which is a good sign for consumers.
Ethics and controversies surrounding cultivated meat
An important segment of society raises ethical concerns. Vegans, for example, do not accept it as “ethical”, even though it does not involve slaughter. On the other hand, traditionalists see lab-grown meat as an attack on culinary and natural values.
Another debate concerns who controls production. If only a few large companies produce “made-to-order meat”, this could lead to a food oligopoly, with potential risks to food independence.
When will we eat it in Romania?
Realistically, within the next 5–7 years, lab-grown meat could appear in high-end restaurants or specialist shops in Romania if European legislation allows it. By 2035, McKinsey estimates that 10% of global meat will be cultivated in laboratories.
To supplement the information above, you can also read Heatwave in Romania: what to do to avoid ending up in hospital. Temperatures of up to 41°C expected in the coming period, an article that explores an aspect directly related to this topic.
Lab-grown meat is no longer a fantasy, but an emerging reality. While Romania is still far from consuming such products, the global direction is clear: sustainability, ethics and technology will shape the plate of the future. Whether we accept it or not, artificial meat will sooner or later become part of our diet.
It remains to be seen whether Romanians will trust this new type of food and how they will react when they first find the following wording on a label: “grown in a laboratory, not sourced from a living animal”.
