Latest news with #Vow
Time Out
25-06-2025
- Business
- Time Out
Australia has officially become the third country in the world to approve lab-grown meat
From beyond meat and insect protein to vegan cheese and 3D-printed seafood, the past decade has dished up some bold food trends. Now, Australia's getting a taste of the future with the official approval for lab-grown (or cell-cultured) meat to be sold and consumed across the country. It's taken more than two years for Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) to give the green light to lab-grown meat, which it granted to Sydney-based startup Vow on June 18. Founded in 2019, Vow has been selling its cultivated Japanese quail foie gras to more than 25 high-end restaurants in Singapore for a year under the name 'Forged'. The Asian country made history in late 2020 as the first country to approve cultivated meat, followed by the United States in mid-2023 with lab-grown chicken. This makes Australia officially the third country in the world to approve lab-grown meat for sale and consumption. Photograph: Supplied | Vow So, how exactly is cultured meat made at Vow? It all starts with selecting the perfect cells from an animal. These cells are then placed in a huge fermentation tank with a nutrient-rich liquid, which is designed to replicate the body of a living animal. From there, the cells grow and multiply naturally. After just 79 days, a 'harvesting' process occurs where the meat is separated from the liquid, like curds from whey, and then crafted into delicacies like parfait and foie gras. Quail might seem like an odd choice, but that's exactly the point – Vow intentionally steered away from everyday meats like chicken or beef to avoid direct comparisons. Rather than competing for shelf space at the supermarket, the startup is also focusing on fine dining. Its cultured Japanese quail foie gras is set to debut on menus at Sydney's Kitchen by Mike, NEL, Olio and The Waratah, plus Bottarga, 1Hotel and The Lincoln in Melbourne – all within the next few months, if everything goes to plan. Photograph: Supplied | Vow Vow originally created the product to address global food shortages, but cultivated meat also carries potential environmental and ethical benefits – it's made without farms, emissions or animal harm. That said, as a niche product, it comes with high costs and energy demands. There's also ongoing debate around how it should be labelled, with concerns that using the word 'meat' and livestock imagery on packaging could mislead consumers. Would you be game to give it a go? A 2023 FSANZ survey of Australians and New Zealanders found that only 24 per cent would readily incorporate it into their diets, with almost half (48 per cent) saying they wouldn't. But the food world is moving fast – so who knows what our dinner plates will look like in a decade? Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Australia newsletter for more news, travel inspo and activity ideas, straight to your inbox. RECOMMENDED:
ABC News
24-06-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
BTN Newsbreak 24/06/2025
CEASEFIRE Early this morning, President Donald Trump announced on social media that Israel and Iran have agreed to a "complete and total" ceasefire that would begin later in the day. The post came soon after Iran launched missiles at a US Military base in Qatar, in retaliation for the US bombing three of Iran's nuclear sites over the weekend. The news of a ceasefire was welcomed by leaders around the world. In the hours leading up to President Trump officially announcing the ceasefire had begun, Iran launched a number of deadly attacks on Israel. However, many are hoping President Trump's declaration of a ceasefire will now lead to a more permanent end to the fighting. SOCIAL MEDIA BAN Australia's eSafety Commissioner wants YouTube to be added to the government's social media ban. The ban is set to come into effect in December of this year, but some of the details are still being hashed out. YouTube was initially going to be part of the ban, but then was made exempt, with the government saying it helped young people access education and health support they needed. But now E-Safety Commissioner Julie Inman-Grant wants the government to reconsider. LAB GROWN MEAT Food regulators say we're now allowed to eat meat made from a lab, and surprisingly, it doesn't look as weird as you'd think. The meat on that plate was created by Sydney company Vow. They collected individual cells from a Japanese Quail, which is a small bird, without harming it, and put them in a large tank of liquid like this one. It's turned into a paste, which then gets made into a meat product. Meat has been made this way for over a decade, but only handful of countries like Singapore and the Netherlands approved it as safe for sale. After a 2 year approval process, this quail meat from Vow has been approved in Australia, and could hit restaurant menus in a couple months. So is it something you'd be keen to try? LARGEST DIGITAL CAMERA First to the air with the world's largest digital camera at an observatory in Chile, designed to help us learn more about space. This animation has been made from the camera's first 1,100 images, revealing around 10 million galaxies. WHALE TOOLS Now to the sea where some very clever Orcas, who for the first time ever, have been caught on camera using tools! Yep, these two whales have rolled a bunch of kelp together, which scientists believe they designed to help groom each other. FINKE CRASH And finally to... land. Yeah these guys were recently racing in the Northern Territory's Finke Desert Race, when their car took a tumble. Now, they've released footage of the crash from inside the vehicle. No-one was injured at all, thank goodness, and the drivers involved say it's all thanks to careful planning and safety systems.
ABC News
23-06-2025
- Health
- ABC News
Lab-grown meat has just been approved for consumption in Australia. What is it and how is it made?
In a kitchen in inner Sydney, chef Kevin Condon is listing the ingredients that go into his signature foie gras dish. Most aren't too striking: garlic, brandy, butter. But one is so rare that it's only just been approved for consumption in Australia. This foie gras, a specialty dish made from liver, is derived from Japanese quail — which is an uncommon sighting on any menu. But the meat itself didn't come from any slaughtered animal. It was "grown" from real meat cells in a factory. It's conventionally known as "lab-grown" or cell-cultured meat and has just been deemed safe to eat by Australia's food regulator. The novel food product is made by multiplying individual cells (taken from an animal, dead or alive) in a large tank of liquid, much like at a brewery, and then turning that paste into a food product, such as foie gras or mince. "We put the cells in a nutrient broth that is essentially recreating a lot of the conditions in which cells grow in our body. "There's amino acids, sugars … and that is what is actually allowing the cells to grow in a way that's very similar to what you'd see in a brewery," Ellen Dinsmoor explains on a recent tour of a lab-grown meat factory in Sydney. Ms Dinsmoor is the chief operating officer of Vow, one of two lab-grown meat startups in Australia. The other is Melbourne-based Magic Valley, whose business strategy is different, targeting the mass-market consumer with its mince products. After a two-year-long process, Food Standards Australia and New Zealand (FSANZ) has given the green light for Vow's product to be sold for consumption. The cultured Japanese quail foie gras is expected to be landing on the plates of diners in a few high-end restaurants in Sydney and Melbourne within months, if all goes to plan for the company. In their decision, FSANZ said: "Our assessment concluded that the product is safe for human consumption and presents no toxicological, nutritional or allergenic concerns. "The quail cell line was found to be genetically stable, and microbiological risks associated with its production can be effectively managed through established food safety controls." Despite this decision by the regulator, and the fact that cultivated meat has been made for well over a decade, only a handful of countries around the world have approved it as safe for sale, and Italy as well as several US states have banned it. Curtain University sustainability expert Dora Marinova says the industry has a way to go to convince consumers it's safe and nutritious to eat. "There isn't that much enthusiasm, mainly because people are not familiar with the product and also particularly young people are very sceptical," Professor Marinova tells ABC News, while tucking into a salad wrap at a Perth cafe. Because lab-grown meat companies are starting from scratch — literally, with an animal's microscopic individual cells — the world is their oyster in terms of what creatures they can make into meat. "We can grow meat from any animal," Ms Dinsmoor explains, standing in the company's headquarters in front of a brainstorming whiteboard that includes ideas such as crocodile medallions and shark fin soup. "We look at all of the animals out there and we say, what would taste the most delicious? What would be the most nutritious for people? "Our cell library has over 50 different types of cells in it!" Vow even made a "woolly mammoth meatball" (made from cultured cells from the DNA of woolly mammoths and African elephants) two years ago in a publicity stunt to showcase the potential of its technology — though no one actually ate it. The creators of Vow say they first designed the product to address global food shortages, where current systems don't produce enough food to feed a growing global population. However, Ms Dinsmoor admits cell-cultured meat is not currently a viable alternative to conventional farmed meat, as it could not yet be produced at a large enough scale. "I'd love to say it is, but this facility you see behind me is actually the largest operational cultured meat facility in the world. "And right now what you see here, while impressive, can't feed all of Australia, let alone many other countries," she tells The Business, from Vow's factory in inner Sydney, where a giant bioreactor is currently "growing" meat cells for their product. Other key industry claims include that lab-made meat is more environmentally friendly as it does not require large farmland for animals to be grown, and that it is more ethical as the animal does not have to be slaughtered to produce meat. Monash University biotechnology research scientist Paul Wood says, at present, the process of making lab-grown meat is quite energy intensive: "So unless you're using totally renewable energy, then you're not going to be more sustainable on an energy basis." Aside from considerations such as the safety of the product and ethical claims, the other key question is commercial: will people buy it? Curtin University's Professor Marinova has been studying cell-cultured meat and the views of consumers. "People are curious … but whether they will stick to this choice when there are other alternatives is something that the industry will need to be prepared to respond to in a way that they can attract, sustain and maintain interest in the consumers." She says a degree of hesitancy or uncertainty still exists about the product, even now it has been approved for sale by the food regulator. Professor Marinova has been speaking to gen Z consumers in particular, who she says are "not confident at all" about the product, yet. "They're quite innovative as [a] generation … they're actually quite curious, they are quite inquisitive, and they are open to new dietary choices. "As long as we have the right messages and the right information, they can probably be convinced. But at the moment they're not." She says for younger consumers in particular, the perception of the product being more environmentally friendly was a key selling point. "Most of these businesses are building on the environmental concerns that people have because there is more awareness of the high environmental footprint of the food choices that we have, and particularly meat and red meat has a very, very high associated greenhouse gas emissions, land use." Vow's Ellen Dinsmoor says the carbon footprint of cell-based meat had the potential to be lower, given it could be produced in an inner-city lab like theirs. The high costs and energy use associated with making lab-grown meat at this stage have meant it is largely a niche product, according to Professor Wood. "I've always said it'll remain a niche product — a niche product in high-value markets." He says the industry has recently faced challenges from cost pressures and a drop in investor interest in the alternative meat sector. "I think the biggest issue is cost and scale. This is an expensive product to make. You need special equipment, you need expensive media [the liquid chemicals in which the cells grow]." Some startups will find scaling up a challenge because of the high production cost and lack of funding interest for the sector currently, Professor Wood notes. Vow's Ms Dinsmoor confirms the drop-off in investment interest. "Food tech is not the space to be right now — artificial intelligence is, and especially because the plant-based sector, which we're often lumped in with, has not done well over the last few years," she says. Based on the current trajectory, Professor Wood said the global market could shrink further as companies consolidated. "I think we're up to about 170 companies around the world. We are already seeing some of those companies either going out of business or being purchased," he observed. Professor Dora Marinova believes lab-grown meat would likely remain as a complementary food product, rather than replace conventionally farmed meat altogether. While Sydney-based Vow had plans to grow off the back of approvals from Food Standards Australia, earlier this year they were forced to lay off 25 per cent of their staff. "Right now, we don't have the time or budget to double down on research and development," Ms Dinsmoor explained. "Most of the folks affected by those lay-offs in January were scientists, engineers, many of whom had been with the company since its earliest days. She says the company hopes to be selling at a profitable margin within the first few months of launching their quail product in Australia this year.
Bloomberg
18-06-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Lab-Grown Meat Soon on Australia's Menus After Approval
Australia has approved the sale of slaughter-free Japanese quail, becoming only the third country in the world to permit the sale of meat cultivated from animal cells. Sydney-based startup Vow will offer products made from quail cells at local restaurants within weeks, it said in a statement. That follows an amendment to Australia's food standards code published Wednesday after a years-long assessment.
Sydney Morning Herald
18-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
Lab-grown meat just became legal. Is it any good?
They are more ingredients than finished products, leaving room for chefs to add their twist. Italian chef Mirco Febrille, of Singapore's Bar Somma, has made a tortellini filled with Forged parfait in a hay-infused broth. 'Chefs are the artists of the food world. They're the ones that ultimately drive food culture,' said Peppou. Working closely with chefs also ensures quality control and a positive experience for wary first-timers. 'A lot of consumers' first contact [with meat-replacement products] was in retail. They brought it home, they cooked it badly and they were like, 'this shit product tastes like a hockey puck',' said Peppou. Chef and Vow ambassador Mike McEnearney will serve his popular sourdough bread with Pepe Saya butter and a cultured quail butter at Kitchen by Mike, and his new Melbourne restaurant inside 1Hotel, From Here By Mike, will feature a pan-fried 'Forged gras' on a bed of lentils. The bar upstairs will serve Forged parfait on toasted brioche. 'How often does something brand new come to market? That's what got me,' McEnearney said. 'I'd describe it [to customers] as a different way of farming … it's an educational process,' he added. 'It's not replacing anything. It's helping to support sustainable farming methods.' Food regulatory body Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) has also passed updated definitions of genetically modified food to address progress in gene technologies while maintaining strong food safety protections, which the regulator says brings Australia in line with international approaches and will ensure the right labelling and oversight. 'Our safety assessment confirms that many modifications achieved through new breeding techniques are equivalent to those from conventional breeding, which is widely recognised as safe,' said FSANZ chief Dr Sandra Cuthbert. How lab-grown meat gets made The process of making lab-grown or cultured meat, this masthead was told in a tour of Vow's factory (sometimes referred to as Sydney's first 'meat brewery'), isn't too dissimilar to the fermentation process in brewing beer. A biopsy, or small tissue sample, of an animal – in this case, a quail – is taken and placed into a 20,000-litre temperature-controlled fermentation tank, which is designed to replicate the body of a quail. Hot water lines the tank, for warmth; oxygen and glucose are pumped in the tank, where the tissue scraping is given plenty of space to grow over the course of a month. 'Harvesting' then occurs every two to three days for about a month, where three-quarters of the glucose mix is removed from the tank and topped up for the growing process to continue. The liquid is then poured into a separator, which sorts out the liquid from the solid meat matter, akin to curd, or blitzed chicken mince. To sell their products, Vow had to undergo, and co-design, a lengthy regulatory process with food regulatory body – because the category of lab-grown meat didn't exist yet. Loading 'We are so new, we don't fit into any of the boxes for the food system,' said Peppou. 'Everything which is trivial, should be trivial, is really complex for us.' Peppou's first time trying his own products in a restaurant was April last year, alongside 14 influencers in a members-only club in Singapore. Now, he will be able to try it in his hometown with his parents at a six-course degustation at Italian restaurant Olio in Chippendale, or the Waratah Hotel with his mates. Now that Vow has FSANZ approval, the NSW Food Authority will conduct a final audit before awarding a food manufacturers' licence, which will allow it to sell in Australia. It's been a long journey for Peppou, who had to make 30 per cent of his staff redundant in January. The former biochemist is already eyeing other markets, including the UK, Middle East, and is working with nine regulators.
