Two cultivated Japanese quail products manufactured by Australian startup Vow are now on sale at The Aubrey bar in the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, which is located in the Central district of Hong Kong.
Prior to his development, cultivated meat had only been commercially available in Singapore and the US.
Food regulators in Hong Kong operate independently from those in the rest of China, where there is currently no process through which companies can apply for approval.
However, representatives from the China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment have noted in recent talks that they are working to create a framework for cultivated meat safety assessment.
In April, Beijing announced an investment of 80m yuan (£8.71m) to establish a science centre focused on cultivated meat and alternative proteins.
Cultivated meat is produced by growing animal cells in a fermentation tank, with peer-reviewed research suggesting it causes up to 92% less greenhouse gas emissions and 94% less air pollution than conventional beef, as well as up to 66% less water.
Cultivated meat in the UK
Cultivated meat has not yet been authorised for sale in the UK, but the Food Standards Agency (FSA) is currently assessing several applications from startups in the field.
However, UK company Meatly announced earlier this year that its cultivated chicken pet food had been cleared for sale under a separate process that is administered by Defra.
Commenting on the development in Hong Kong, UK policy manager for nonprofit Good Food Institute Europe, Linus Pardoe, said: “Cultivated meat can drive green growth and create future-proof jobs, and as Asian economies begin to embrace this sustainable food it’s critical the UK is not left behind.
“Britain is home to a growing network of pioneering cultivated meat researchers and entrepreneurs, but to ensure their innovations can be brought to market here the government needs to continue investing in the R&D and infrastructure this sector needs to scale up, while modernising the UK’s regulatory system.”
