SuperMeat signs agreement with Switzerland’s largest supermarket and meat manufacturer to produce cultivated chicken at commercial scale
Israeli foodtech company SuperMeat has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Migros, to accelerate commercial production and distribution of its cultivated chicken products in Europe.
Migros, which is Switzerland’s biggest supermarket chain and meat manufacturer, has also invested in SuperMeat as part of the agreement.
Both companies will now work together to develop the necessary infrastructure to produce and eventually sell lab-grown chicken on a wide scale.
SuperMeat produces cultivated chicken, which it says has a longer shelf life than fresh poultry and is free from antibiotics.
Being slaughter-free and grown from poultry cells, the company says it has a smaller food production chain, better ecological footprint and overall lower production costs in comparison to traditional chicken production.
“We are thrilled to be working with a prominent foodservice partner like Migros as we move toward our joint vision of producing cultivated meat on a mass scale,” said Ido Savir, CEO of SuperMeat.
“Their expertise and reach in food production and grocery paired with SuperMeat’s advancements in the industry will set the stage to bring cultivated meat to European consumers in the near future.”
This latest agreement marks another step toward the commericalisation of cultivated meat products. Last year, SuperMeat also signed an MOU with one of Europe’s largest poultry producers, PHW Group.
In 2021, Migros also teamed up with two Swiss companies Givaudan and Bühler to build The Cultured Food Innovation Hub to accelerate development in cellular agriculture, and offer other companies support developing cultured meat, fish and seafood, and precision fermentation.
Matthew Robin, CEO of ELSA-Mifroma, a Migros Group company, said: “As consumers demand more sustainable, healthier, and alternative protein products, Migros wants to ensure it is prepared to meet the needs of this growing customer base when the time comes.
“Having the opportunity to taste SuperMeat’s cultivated chicken personally at their restaurant in Israel, I was very impressed with how similar this was to traditional chicken, confirming my conviction of the potential for this technology to change the meat industry.”
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