Eat Just says first-ever home delivery service of cultured meat is “very significant” and anticipates more governments will welcome cell-based meats

Eat Just has struck a deal with an Asian delivery giant to deliver three limited-edition meals in Singapore.

Eat Just has dubbed its deal to launch the world’s first-ever home delivery service of cultured meat as “very significant” and says it anticipates that more governments will “create regulatory pathways for cultured meats."

The US plant-based food firm yesterday announced that three limited-edition dishes featuring Eat Just’s GOOD Meat brand of cell-based chicken will be available in Singapore on April 22, on Earth Day, when millions gather across the world to demonstrate support for environmental protection.

The Good Food Institute said the deal gave customers a “taste of the future.”

The launch of the delivery service follows a landmark announcement last year, when lab-grown chicken made by Eat Just became the first cultured meat sold and served at a restaurant, called 1880, in Singapore, after the country’s food agency approved the sale of cultured meat.

Speaking to Future Food Finance, Andrew Noyes, a spokesman for Eat Just, said: “Singapore is a gateway to broader Asia and is increasingly a hot spot for food innovation. It was the perfect place to launch GOOD Meat — and now consumers there will be able to try it in their own homes.

“Singapore was the first country in the world to approve cultured meat for sale late last year and ours is the only product on the market. 

“Singapore continues to be the only place in the world where GOOD Meat can be sold, although we anticipate that will change in the future as more governments create regulatory pathways for cultured meat.”

Asked about the consumer response to its cultured meat being sold in a restaurant, Noyes said the response had been “incredible” and that it was “scaling up our product lines so that we can offer GOOD Meat to many more people at restaurants and in the comfort o their own homes.”

The new deal is courtesy of a partnership with Asian delivery giant foodpanda, which will see the delivery of the limited-edition dishes.

The dishes include katsu chicken curry, chicken coconut rice with pak choi, and chicken caesar salad with kale and a plant-based dressing. 

The meals, prepared by 1880, will be delivered via e-bikes and packaged in a bamboo fibre box and will be priced at $15 (£11), excluding the delivery fee.

“Bringing GOOD Meat directly to the homes of people in Singapore with foodpanda is another historically important step in our journey to build a safer, healthier food system,” said Josh Tetrick, co-founder and CEO of Eat Just.

“Food is at the core of our business, and ensuring that we have a sustainable food ecosystem is an important agenda for us. foodpanda is thrilled to be the first platform in the world to deliver cultured meat dishes so that customers in Singapore can be the world’s first diners to enjoy them from the comforts of their home,” said Jakob Angele, CEO of foodpanda APAC. 

“Together with Eat Just, we hope to bring this to more markets - not just in Asia but also in every country in the world where Delivery Hero brands operate.”

Mirte Gosker, the Good Food Institute (GFI) Asia Pacific acting managing director, said: “Anything conventional meat can do, cultivated meat can do better, and now consumers in Singapore can get a taste of the future without leaving the comfort of home. 

“This is a small but important proof of concept that should catalyse leaders from both the public and private sectors to invest the significant scientific resources needed to bring this smarter way of making meat to the masses.” 

Bruce Friedrich, GFI executive director, said: “Singapore has thrown down the gauntlet, and the rest of the world needs to pick it up. Globally, we need a protein transition if we’re going to move the world to net-zero emissions, and we need the governments of the world to follow Singapore’s lead in creating a strong innovation ecosystem for plant-based and cultivated meat. 

“First, Singapore created the space for cultivated meat commercialisation, and now you can order it for home delivery.  The prospect of cultivating meat directly from cells, a form of agriculture that requires a fraction of the land, water, and other inputs as our current food system, is gaining traction in Singapore and globally. 

“Governments around the world who want to use public funds for public good should take note. Increased investments in cultivated meat and other alternative proteins offer practical pathways to meeting global obligations under the Paris Climate Agreement.

“The cultivated meat industry has achieved landmark advancements in recent years, but a number of challenges must be met before products are widely available and cost-competitive. 

“Government investment in open-access research and innovation and government incentives for private sector research and infrastructure build-out is needed to bring cultivated meat to market at scale and ensure it is accessible to all consumers.”