More than half of Belgians willing to try cultivated meat

A new representative study indicates that 55% of respondents would at least try cultivated meat. For the poll, YouGov, commissioned by international think tank the Good Food Institute Europe, surveyed over a thousand people about Belgians’ meat consumption, and their knowledge of and attitude towards cultivated meat*.

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10 July 2024

Bruxelles, Belgique

A new representative study indicates that 55% of respondents would at least try cultivated meat. For the poll, YouGov, commissioned by international think tank the Good Food Institute Europe, surveyed over a thousand people about Belgians’ meat consumption, and their knowledge of and attitude towards cultivated meat*.

Growing awareness 

Belgians like to eat well, and for many a good piece of meat is still part of that, be it in the pan, on the barbecue or in the fryer. Yet there is a growing awareness regarding our meat consumption and its impact. For instance, 61%* of those surveyed say we eat slightly too much to far too much meat, and 47%* say they would like to eat less meat to no meat in the next two years.

When it comes to cultivated meat – which is made in fermentors instead of by farming animals – 40% say they have heard of it, while 14% say they know a lot about it. 24%, if it becomes available, would want to replace some of their current meat consumption with it*.

Clear benefits and lower impact

“Cultivated meat is real meat, based on animal cells that are grown – a bit like vegetables in a greenhouse – in a fermentor by providing them with the necessary heat and nutrients: water, proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals,” states Seth Roberts, senior policy manager at the Good Food Institute Europe. “The big difference: the climate impact of cultivated meat could be up to 92% lower, and there are no antibiotics involved: good news for the planet, and for public health.”

So the potential benefits are clear, especially given that global demand for meat is expected to increase by 52% by 2050, and that in Europe we already use 45% of all our crops as animal feed.

Commercialisation in the early stages

Currently, however, the commercialisation of cultivated meat is still in its early stages. Production needs to be scaled up and prices lowered to make cultivated meat accessible and affordable to all, and to maximise its societal benefits. To do so, governments must invest in open-access research: to lower the cost of the nutrients needed, increase the availability of cell lines, and build the scaffolds – needed for the complex fibrous texture – and larger fermentors in which the cells can grow.

“Together with the most efficient agricultural practices, cultivated meat can play a crucial role in strengthening our food security and creating jobs for the future. Belgium is well placed to benefit from this growing sector, and it is encouraging to see that almost two-thirds of Belgians support the production of cultivated meat so that it can benefit the economy,” said Seth Roberts, senior policy manager at the Good Food Institute Europe.

Approval required

Before cultivated meat can be sold in Europe, it has to be approved by regulators. That requires a rigorous review process led by the Novel Foods Regulation, which is estimated to take at least 18 months.

Once approved, 57% of Belgians surveyed think that cultivated meat should be marketed in our country, while 61% think it should be produced in Belgium to benefit our economy. 71%* believe that any approval of cultivated meat should be independent of commercial interests.

Currently, cultivated meat is already approved for sale in Singapore and United States, with applications also filed in Switzerland and the UK.

Methodology

The data used are based on an online survey conducted by YouGov Deutschland GmbH, in which 1,010 people in Belgium participated between 15 and 21 April 2024. The results were weighted and are representative of the Belgian population aged 18 and over.

*Results based on aggregated percentage values of two responses (tend to agree + strongly
agree).