Alternate meat products have been talked about for years and now some are about to hit the plates in Australia.
Greek Australian led cell-based meat company Vow has been given the green light to sell three products made from cultured quail cells.
It was a two-year-long approval process but Food Standards Australia New Zealand has allowed Vow’s “forged” whipped pate, foie gras and edible tallow candle to be on the menu at high-end restaurants.
Vow’s founder and CEO George Peppou told Neos Kosmos that they’re thrilled.
“We were always optimistic but you can never be 100 per cent certain about these things,” he said.
“The past two years have been pretty amazing for Vow and for our first brand, Forged.
“We launched in Singapore and had the chance to refine and scale up our production of the products we have now been approved to bring to market here in Australia.”
Australia join the United States and Singapore as the only countries thus far to allow lab-grown meat.
Cultured meat begins with the cells of a living animal, a fertilised egg or a bank of stored cells. These cells are then grown in steel tanks and fed nutrients that animals would otherwise eat.
The meat is different to plant-based as it still comes from an animal. This allows people to make meat without the waste.
The response to their product in Singapore, where the parfait and Forged Gras has become mainstays at high end restaurants, was positive.
“There’s a real sense of delight in discovering something that tastes this good and feels completely new,” Peppou said.
“Many diners say it’s unlike anything they’ve tried before – a texture and richness they can’t find anywhere else.”
According to Peppou, the reason they started with high end products is because for something new like this, you need the highest quality.
“I think to open up people’s imaginations and pique their curiosity, you need to give them the very best first experience possible,” he said.
“We know how much Australians love dining out, and how curious and thoughtful Aussie diners are in general.”
While it is premium, it can be applied in many ways. In Singapore, the Forged Gras is being served in a bagel that sells for $21.
“The common thread is the quality of the flavour and eating experience.”
An option, not a replacement
For years Peppou has stressed that cultured meat it not there to replace meat or even compete with farming. He wants it to be another choice.
Growing up in a Greek household, he ate a lot of meat and understands the importance of food, specifically the joy and community it can bring to the table.
“There’s so much tradition in Greek culture and food, and we don’t intend to replace that, or the foods from any other culture, for that matter,” he said.
Peppou also thinks there is a space for cultured meat in Greek cuisine, for the reason that both share themes of big flavours, creativity and so on.
“I think that any Greek who puts some of our smoked quail spread on their kontosouvli will love it.”
He points to some Singapore chefs already using their cultured Japanese quail in Mediterranean-style dishes like in handmade tortellini.
Vows for the future
Vow has investigated the potential of lab-grown meat from more than 50 species of animals including alpaca, buffalo, crocodile, kangaroo, peacocks and different types of fish.
Two years ago they made headlines when they unveiled a woolly mammoth meatball at the Nemo Museum in Amsterdam.
For now, Peppou is excited to now sell their products at home in Australia and will continue to grow in Singapore while also looking to expand to other countries.
As for the industry as a whole, he sees a future where they unlock a new level of culinary diversity.
“In five to ten years, Vow’s ambition is to offer dozens of different meats — not replicas of what we already know, but entirely new ingredients the world hasn’t tasted before,” he said.
