The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), has funded the ‘Cellular Agriculture Manufacturing Hub’ (CARMA), a new research hub helping scientists and companies manufacture cultivated meat at scale. Researchers will also explore the development of foods such as sustainable palm oil through precision fermentation – a technique using organisms such as yeast to produce egg or dairy proteins to deliver the flavour and texture of foods like cheese, meat, and eggs without using animals.
CARMA is the largest single investment the UK government has made to date in sustainable proteins. It follows the government’s promise to support these foods as part of £120 million of research and development earmarked in last year’s Government Food Strategy.
UK policy manager at the Good Food Institute Europe, said: “This landmark investment is a strong indication that the UK government recognizes the importance of cellular agriculture and the need to invest in the R&D necessary to help British companies scale production, bringing down costs and making this food available to everyone.