It is estimated that by 2050 the world's population will reach 9.1 billion, and so concerns about securing a sustainable supply of food for everyone have led to many innovators developing lab-grown alternatives for some of our most common foods. But what are they top 5 most innovative lab grown foods today? And how can their production support a more sustainable food industry?

1. Lab Grown Meat (Cultured Meat)

25% of total global greenhouse gas emissions are directly caused by agriculture. Beef production is considered the worst offender, methane (emitted from cattle) and nitrous oxide from their manures,  are having a serious and prolonged impact on greenhouse gas emissions. In 2013 a team of scientists developed the first lab-grown burger at a laboratory in Maastricht University in The Netherlands. The product mimicked the texture and taste of a real meat burger. And today, many food manufactures are focusing their efforts on bringing meat products grown from animal cells in a lab, right onto the supermarket shelves. 

2. Lab Grown Algae 

One potential alternative food source – both for humans and animals – is algae. Microalgae are small, protein-rich organisms found in both fresh and seawater. Lab grown algae is another lab grown protein source we should all be paying close attention to. The French start-up Kyanos have been perfecting their lab-based technology for a large-scale protein production process called Cyclotrophy, which grows microalgae. This “greener and cleaner” protein could be the food of the future. “This industrial way of producing plant-based protein allows unprecedented yields, cost effectiveness and health safety conditions while catering for the growing market expectations for healthy, environmentally friendly products,” says Vinh Ly, CEO and founder of Kyanos.

3. Lab Grown Eggs

In 2020, two French scientists announced that they had grown “Vegan eggs” in a lab. Les Merveillœufs (a play on 'merveilleux' meaning marvellous and 'oeufs' meaning eggs) were formulated by biologists at Paris Ecole de Biologie Industrielle. And similarly, India’s first plant-based egg startup, EVO Foods, have also used biochemistry to develop a vegan egg alternative. Its first product is a 100% plant-based liquid egg made from lentil protein, which contains no cholesterol nor any antibiotics.

4. Lab Grown Milk

A glass of milk without the need for a cow is no longer a pipe dream. In fact a California start-up Perfect Day Inc., have recreated the proteins found in conventional cow’s milk via a genetically modified microflora that produces whey through a fermentation process. However with the increased popularity of oat milk and soya milk, lab grown milk will have to accurately match the texture, nutrition, and taste of its dairy namesake if it’s going to find popularity.

5. Lab Grown Fish

Synthetic, lab-grown fish are certainly an interesting prospect. The UN Food and Agriculture Agency (FAO) asserts that the increase in intensive fishing has compromised the survival of 33.1% of commercial species. But cellular seafood (cellular acquculture) could be the answer. San Francisco based biotech company, Finless Foods,  is endeavouring to bring a species of cultured bluefin tuna created using cellular aquaculture technology to the marketplace. Shortly after its debut in 2017, the company produced its first pound of bluefin tuna meat at a cost of approximately $19,000. Wild Type is another innovator, who are focusing on salmon. The future possibilities for cellular acquculture are incredibly exciting, potentially leading to a more sustainable, healthy and humane seafood industry.

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