Cell-cultured meat refers to meat grown in labs using cells from live animals. Having emerged from cell-culture applications such as antibody protein therapeutics, cell-based therapies, and regenerative medicine, cell-cultured meat technology promises sustainable and humane alternatives to slaughtered meat. 

Despite the promising potential of cell-cultured meat, the industry continues to grapple with significant hurdles that hinder its widespread adoption. Slow regulatory approvals and the challenges of scaling up industrial production, primarily driven by high costs, have delayed mass commercialization. While a breakthrough was achieved with Eat JUST's "chicken bites" becoming the first cell-cultured meat product to enter the Singaporean market in December 2020, it took nearly three years for the US to follow suit and become the second country to approve the sale of cultivated meat products. 

The meat shortage in the US, led by the closure of meat processing plants during the Covid-19 pandemic and the rise in prices due to surging feedstock prices and labor shortage, has drawn attention to cell-cultured meat production, a more sustainable method of sourcing meat proteins with a minimum impact on the environment. Moreover, concerns surrounding zoonotic diseases like salmonella and E. coli in the US as well as outbreaks of swine flu and avian influenza are expected to drive increased demand for animal-free agricultural alternatives.