Study showed that lab-grown meat can be Halal

Discussions about lab-grown meat—which is already being consumed in some foreign countries—have been going on for some time. For those working in the Halal sector, the question is inevitable: is it, or can it be, Halal?

Bárbara Cristina Domingos, a Quality Analyst at FAMBRAS Halal, sought to answer this and other questions related to the topic—including its advantages and disadvantages—in a paper presented at the first CTec Halal. Well worth a read.

Bárbara, what led you to choose this topic for your work? What did you hope to achieve?

Lab-grown meat production is an innovation that is already being consumed in other countries. It promises to produce meat and meat products without slaughtering animals, using only their cells, bringing numerous environmental benefits.

My aim in addressing this topic was to explain how the process works, highlight the benefits of cultured meat production and the challenges involved, and relate it to Halal.

Your paper was a technical study on cultured meat. Could you tell us how this process came about?

My work was based on a literature review, so I consulted several scientific papers and articles in internationally renowned magazines about current research on cultivated meat.

Based on your work, what are the advantages of cultivated meat?

One of the main advantages of cultivated meat is its lower environmental impact: it uses less energy and water, requires less land, and reduces greenhouse gas emissions such as carbon dioxide, methane, and nitric oxide.

Another important advantage, used to promote cultivated meat, relates to animal welfare, since no animals are slaughtered to produce the meat or its byproducts.

Another benefit is that it is produced in controlled, safe, and healthy environments with high hygiene standards, helping prevent the spread of zoonotic diseases.

And the disadvantages?

One of the challenges in producing lab-grown meat is consumer acceptance, as its texture, color and flavor differ somewhat from those of fresh meat.

One of the major disadvantages of this product is the difficulty of producing it on an industrial scale. It is estimated that approximately eight trillion muscle cells are needed to produce one kilogram of protein.

To reduce the large number of cells required for the process, new culture media formulations and bioreactors need to be developed. These would increase production efficiency, reduce energy consumption and production costs, and maintain consumer safety.

What requirements must cultured meat meet to be considered Halal?

For cultured meat to be considered Halal, the animal must be Halal—that is, permissible for Muslims to consume. For example, cultured beef may be considered Halal. Cultured pork, however, is Haram, since pigs themselves are forbidden for Muslims to consume.

In addition, all the materials used to produce this meat must come from Halal sources. For example, all ingredients used in the culture media to grow cells extracted from animals must be Halal. Therefore, blood, a prohibited substance, cannot be included in the composition of this culture medium.

How are cells extracted from a Halal animal for use in this cultivation process?

There are some differences of opinion. Many scholars say that cells cannot be collected from a live animal by biopsy, as this would mean the product is not Halal. Studies are now underway to extract cells from an animal’s feather or wool, enabling cultivated meat to be certified as Halal.

This is still a matter of debate, but Halal certification is indeed possible, provided all these requirements are met in principle.

What is your assessment of CTec Halal?

CTec Halal was a great opportunity to learn about various topics related to Halal and present my paper, sharing it with all the participants. It was a professionally enriching experience that broadened my perspective on various sectors within the Halal industry.