Believer Meats Breaks Ground on Largest Cultivated Meat Plant in the World

Believer Meats is a company to watch when it comes to near-future of cultivated meat. The firm is launching its first-ever commercial production facility on US soil, where it’s reported to have a future production capacity of 10,000 metric tons of cultivated meat. With an initial investment of $123 million, the enterprise is poised to begin to be a major first in the race to commercialize real meat grown without animals. Let’s take a closer look at the expected impact of this new initiative.  

A bold move

The Believer Meat operation will, according to reports, begin with 200,000 square feet and leave room for a possible future expansion. The predicted production capacity of 22 million pounds once the center is up and running is staggering when you consider how little cultivated meat has been produced to date. Furthermore, with the initial millions invested in Wilson County, North Carolina, Believer Meats will have a significant presence in this part of the state, bringing new jobs and more prosperity to the area.

The factory will be located about 40 miles east of Raleigh, the capital city of North Carolina. It’s anticipated that the center will hire more than 100 people in the next three years.

Why Raleigh, North Carolina? 

Before settling on this location, Believer Meats scouted out several other manufacturing corridors in the eastern part of the state. The Believer team explored only well-established routes where their product could effectively be transported to market. They were looking, too, for a strong talent pool that had the right qualifications.

The other compelling reason for choosing to set up operations close to Raleigh, they report, was that the region has demonstrated success in using novel technology-based approaches to meeting and improving the lives of the region’s residents. This focus aligns with Believer Meats’ mission to make full use of technology in its operations.

The announcement that Believer Meats was coming to the area was a proud moment for North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper. He welcomed the enterprise, saying: "This important decision to build its first US commercialization operation in Wilson County validates our innovative research and development and highly skilled talent while further cementing our state as the best in the nation to do business."

Leadership and innovation

Believer Meats began in Israel in 2018 under the name Future Meat Technologies. Its claim to fame is that it designed the very first cultivated meat production system that could be scaled to feed the world’s population. Impressively, the firm’s pilot plant in Israel only just opened in 2021; it was able to scale production quickly with the use of improved technology. This readily reduced production costs and brought Believer Meats a step closer to realizing founder Yaakov Nahmias’ dream of helping generations of people into the future enjoy the delicious taste and nutrition of meat.

The meat is cultivated by using a fast-growing cell called a fibroblast that’s involved in the formation of connective tissue. The scientists at Believer Meats claim to have invented a process for cleaning and reusing the media used to grow the cells. This, in turn, has increased efficiency and lowered costs. With this forward-thinking technology, Believer Meats is intent on contributing to a sustainable and positive future for the planet and all inhabitants with meat that is packed with nutrients and accessible to more people worldwide.

To quote Nicole Johnson-Hoffman, CEO of Believer Meats, "Our brand has continually proven our commitment to scale production technology and capacity, and with our new US production center, we are one step closer to commercialization. Believer is setting the standard globally to make it possible for future generations to eat and enjoy meat."

Such is the reputation of this cutting-edge company that Nestlé recently announced it had begun working with Believer Meats to evaluate the potential of a hybrid food source containing both cultivated meat and plant-based ingredients.

Next steps

Believer Meats is currently awaiting regulatory approval from the FDA to sell its product. The recent FDA greenlight for Upside Foods' cultivated meat is a favorable development in this regard.  Time will tell if the claims of reduced cost and ability to produce at scale are verified. In the meantime, such largescale construction projects are an encouraging sign for those who’d like to see a slaughter-free meat industry.