If you’re at all tapped into food news, terms such as “cultured,” “cultivated” or “hybrid” meats have probably already entered your consciousness. But does your consciousness know what to do with these labels? If you’re getting big science energy from this terminology, you’re not wrong. 

With summer grilling season on the brink, it’s a good time to remind ourselves that the future of meat is upon us, and it involves a potentially massive overhaul of the way animal protein sources are produced in this country and around the world. It’s presumably good news for the environment — and definitely good news for chickens, cows and pigs — but is it good for you?

I spoke to Bryan Quoc Le, PhD, founder and principal food consultant at Mendocino Food Consulting, and Kiran Campbell, registered dietitian nutritionist for MyNetDiary, to better understand cultured, cultivated and hybrid meats, along with their food safety and nutritional considerations.

What is hybrid meat?

Different from cultured or cultivated meat, this category of animal protein that consumers are likely to be introduced to soon is called hybrid meat. 

“Hybrid meats are products that blend meat with plant ingredients in varying proportions to create the desirable flavors and textures of meat, with the nutrition, sustainability and affordability of plants,” said Le. Such products may eventually also be made from cultured meats, but are already on some grocery shelves using conventional meat, with Both, Choppy and Quorn developing products that aren’t vegetarian, but extend the utility of meat with plant-based ingredients.

“Hybrid meats are a smart and healthier option for people who want to cut back on meat but aren’t ready to give it up completely,” said Campbell. “They can also taste very similar to animal products, so you don’t have to give up flavor or texture,” she added. 

From a nutritional standpoint, hybrid meats are generally viewed favorably. 

“These products often have less saturated fat, fewer calories and more fiber and antioxidants than regular meat. Some even count toward your daily veggie servings,” Campbell said, while cautioning against overly processed options. “The key is to evaluate the full nutrition label and ingredients list.” 

This is similar to the argument with some analogue meats: the nobility of a plant-based approach may be negated by products whose ingredient lists are long and full of unfamiliar or unpronounceable elements.

A DIY approach to hybrid meat

While more brands enter the hybrid meat space, you can easily take a do-it-yourself approach to hybrid meats, which can both help to reduce your carbon footprint and offer nutritional benefits. “As a huge advocate for at-home cooking, concocting hybrid meat options at home is a simple and healthful way to add nutrients and reduce the amount of meat in a meal,” said Campbell, without eliminating it entirely.

Ground meats made from beef, pork, chicken or turkey can be blended with a variety of plant-based ingredients for hybrid burgers, sauces, taco and burrito fillings, meatballs or even meatloaf. Campbell recommends the following grains and vegetables that are easy, healthy and budget-friendly to incorporate in this way. “These additions enhance the nutritional value of meals and support sustainability goals by stretching animal protein further,” she said.

• Lentils or beans: Black beans, kidney beans or chickpeas. They add fiber, plant-based protein and healthy carbs. Cooked lentils are especially good in tacos, spaghetti sauce and meatloaf.
• Chopped mushrooms: Cremini or portobello mushrooms are awesome for adding a meaty texture and savory flavor. Just chop them up finely and mix into burgers, meat sauces or even meatballs.
• Walnuts: Meaty walnuts make an excellent supplement to a package of ground beef or pork in bolognese or burgers.
• Grated zucchini or carrots: These veggies are a sneaky way to boost nutrition. They help keep your meat moist and bring in antioxidants, fiber and vitamins like A and C. Just grate and mix them into whatever ground meat you’re using.
• Oats or cooked quinoa: These help bind your meat together and give it a great texture. Plus, they bring extra fiber, plant-based protein and minerals like iron. I add oats to meatballs and meatloaf every time I make them.
• Edamame or crumbled tofu: Lightly mashed edamame or firm tofu can be mixed into ground meat for a protein boost. Tofu soaks up flavor easily, making it a versatile and budget-friendly option.
• Tempeh: Tempeh has a nutty flavor and firm texture that works great in taco fillings or stir fries. It’s packed with protein and adds a nice bite.

What is cultured or cultivated meat?

Let’s start with the big one: Cultured meat or cultivated meat, which is the same thing, refers to animal meat which can be produced without sacrificing the lives of the animals. Unlike meat analogues such as Beyond and Impossible that purport to behave like meat but are made from plants, cultured meats are animal meats that are actually made from animals. 

“Cultured or cultivated meats, also known as lab grown meat, involves growing animal cells in a bioreactor to produce meat,” explained Le. “These cells are then added to a bioreactor to replicate in a nutrient-rich medium,” he said, along with “scaffolding” made of edible elements such as cellulose and collagen, which help give a desirable shape to the meat cells being grown. (Because nobody wants a Möbius strip steak.)

While the concept of lab-grown meat may incite an ick factor for some –though probably not more than the ick factor that would doubtless arise from witnessing factory farming first hand — growing food cells from biological animal cells has been happening in the dairy space for years. 

Microbial rennet is a vegetarian-friendly coagulant that has been engineered to replace traditional rennet in some cheeses, an enzyme which is otherwise harvested from ruminant animal stomachs. And dairy milk without the participation of cows is already available in the US, with brands such as Bored Cow and remilk being stocked even at conventional grocery retailers. (I’ve personally had Bored Cow. It’s all but indistinguishable from regular milk, and offers a longer shelf life.)

While you won’t find cultured or cultivated meat on your shelves today, in 2023 the United States Department of Agriculture approved the sale of lab-grown chicken by Upside Foods and Good Meat to restaurants. It seems a matter of time before such products are evaluated and scaled enough for widespread production.

What are the safety implications for cultured or cultivated meats?

Given a sterilized lab environment, which is markedly different from factory farm environments, food safety isn’t a big concern at this point for cultured or cultivated meats, but it merits consideration. “Food safety greatly depends on the process, and generally, we do not yet know what the potential hazards are in large-scale and long-term production,” said Le.

Meanwhile, however, the benefits may outweigh the risks. According to Le, “cultivated meats have the potential benefits of improving food security and nutrition since they could allow for larger amounts of meat to be consumed throughout the world in shorter amounts of time,” he said, making nutrient-rich meat more broadly available around the world.

Environmental impact is also a potential upside. “Although the research is still limited, it is likely that the amount of greenhouse gases emitted in large-scale cultivated meat production would be lower than those in conventional farming,” said Le.

Whether lab-grown meats eventually catch on will likely depend on many of the factors above, and how they are communicated to consumers. “Public trust and transparency play a major role in consumer acceptance,” added Campbell. “People may have hesitations about how ‘natural’ or sustainable these products are,” she said, even though early research is generally positive. As both a food writer and culinary-school trained cook, I’m eager to try these products.

Are cultured and cultivated meats good for you?

The good news is, food scientists and nutrition professionals seem to be in alignment about the health benefits of these kinds of products. “Cultivated meat is as healthy as normal meat, since they are basically the same, although other nutrients can be added to cultivated meat,” said Le. 

Campbell concurs: “From a nutrition standpoint, lab-grown meat is meant to be very similar to regular meat, with the same protein, fat and nutrients like iron and vitamin B12,” she said. “Because cultivated meat is produced in a highly controlled environment, there is the potential to modify the nutrient profile by adding things like heart-healthy omega-3 fats or lowering saturated fat, but those improvements are still being researched and there is no telling if these changes will be any healthier than conventional meat products.”