IN an unassuming industrial park on the outskirts of Shanghai, an unusual taste test was happening.

As part of an event Wednesday for government, investors and media, the cultivated meat company CellX served up meat developed in a laboratory from animal cells.

The offerings included lab-grown lamb kebabs and tofu with minced lab-grown lamb. CellX said each dish costs less than 100 yuan (US$13.87) to produce.

Founded in 2020, CellX is among a handful of frontrunners in lab-grown meat production in China. There are also several other firms focusing on research and development.

They are part of a race globally to develop commercially viable lab-grown meat and fish products to appeal to consumers concerned about the environmental impact of livestock farming, a major source of greenhouse gas emissions.

“Our costs are at around US$100 per pound, but by the time we commercially launch in two or three years, the price could go down 10 times,” CellX CEO Yang Ziliang said.

The firm opened a pilot facility in Shanghai this week that Yang said can produce “a couple of tons” of cultivated meat a year. The next facility, for commercial production, is expected to be constructed by 2025 and have capacity to produce hundreds of tons of meat a year.

Though US$100 per pound marks significant progress in terms of cost from the first lab-grown hamburger, which cost US$330,000 to produce in 2013, it’s also a long way from the cost needed to be competitive with traditional meat products. (SD-Agencies)