Cultivated meat, also known as lab-grown or cell-cultured meat, is transforming the way meat is produced and consumed. By culturing animal cells in bioreactors, manufacturers can create products that replicate the sensory and nutritional profiles of conventional meat, without the need for traditional animal farming.

Since Dutch scientists and Mosa Meat founders Mark Post and Peter Verstrate created the world’s first cultivated beef burger in Maastricht University a decade ago, the startup has established itself as a frontrunner in the cell cultured meat sector.

The recent approval supports Mosa Meat’s commitment to establishing a more sustainable food system and makes it the first cultivated meat company worldwide to receive B Corp certification.

"This certification validates our commitment to sustainable practices and ethical foundations as well as strengthens our position as trend setters in the global cellular agriculture movement,” said Maarten Bosch, CEO of Mosa Meat.

“We believe in creating real, delicious meat that positively impacts the climate and our food system and are optimistic that these values will be shared across the many stakeholders in our nascent field of cellular agriculture."

A commitment to sustainable food production

Cultivated meat eliminates the need for animal agriculture, a top contributor to climate change, and allows consumers to enjoy the same taste and texture as the meat they know and love by replicating the nutritional and sensory profiles of traditional meat. Cell-cultured products offer a sustainable alternative to conventional beef as cells from just one animal are needed to produce the same amount of ‘beef’ as countless cows.

One estimate suggests that cell cultured meat could reduce land use by up to 95% and require 77% less water than its traditional counterparts.

Mosa Meat’s B Corp certification aligns with its mission to produce sustainable beef alternatives that mimic conventional beef on taste and texture, without harming the planet. Last May, the company unveiled the world’s largest cultivated meat facility, based in Maastricht and powered by 100% renewable energy sources.

Celebrity and sustainability advocate Leonardo DiCaprio who is an active advisor and investor in Mosa Meat said: “Mosa Meat continues to be a champion for change. I am proud to see Mosa Meat be the first cultivated meat company in the world to become B Corp Certified and hope it is the first of many,” he said.

Mosa Meat’s journey to B Corp certified

The B Corp certification by B Lab measures a company’s performance against a range of variables from environmental impact to employee benefits and community outreach.

To achieve the certification, companies are required to undertake a stringent analysis process and satisfy a set of criteria which include scoring 80 or above on B Lab’s social and environmental risk review, ensuring all data is transparent and publicly accessible, and legally pledging accountability to stakeholders. Any business can apply to become a B Corp, but the pathway to certification varies dependent on criteria such as revenue, company size, and industry.

Following a year of in-depth evaluation, Mosa Meat became a B Corporation based on two Impact Business Models (IBMs). Resource Conservation is awarded to companies and products that limit resource use, such as water and energy, and Mission Locked recognises those that include all stakeholders, not just shareholders, in corporate decision-making processes.

With this certification, the startup joins a cohort of sustainability-focussed food companies with B corp certification such as Nespresso, Proper, and Abel & Cole.

A gateway to regulatory approval?

The announcement follows the launch of the National Growth Fund, a government scheme pledging €60 million in aim of making the Netherlands a global leader in cellular agriculture, and the Dutch government’s landmark approval of tastings of cultivated meat and seafood in controlled environments, earlier this year.

The startup is hopeful that the B Corp certification will be a ring on the ladder on their journey to become regulated for sale and consumption in various countries across the world moving forward.

To date, the sale and consumption of cultivated meat is authorised in just two countries globally. Cell-cultured chicken from Eat Just and Upside Foods are approved for sale in Singapore, and from Good Meat and Upside Foods in the US.

Although the certification represents a step in the right direction for the company, regulatory approval may still be a long way off. The journey to approval is complex, requiring a thorough evidence-based risk assessment by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and final approval from the European Commission.