Reuters's Leah Douglas is reporting that lab-grown meat can be kosher and halal. A panel of experts have confirmed that lab-grown meat can be labeled kosher and halal, provided that the cells used are derived through methods compliant with religious standards.
This conclusion, reached by panels of experts in response to the nascent lab-grown meat industry, is seen as a positive development for companies producing cultured meat, as it potentially expands their market to observant followers of Judaism and Islam.
Currently, cultivated meat is only available in limited quantities in the United States and Singapore, but companies are hoping for increased investment to scale up production and make it more widely available. Lab-grown meat is produced from animal cells grown in nutrient-rich solutions, reducing the need for traditional farming and slaughterhouses, making it appealing to vegans, vegetarians, and environmentally conscious consumers.
Both the Orthodox Union and sharia experts have issued opinions regarding the kosher and halal compliance of specific lab-grown meat products, providing a pathway for the industry to cater to these dietary requirements.
Lab-grown meat companies have the potential to attract Hindu and Jainist consumers in India. A significant portion of these communities in India adhere to vegetarianism due to their commitment to nonviolence towards all living creatures. If they start to consider lab-grown meat, which doesn't involve traditional animal slaughter, as acceptable, it could significantly increase the market size of products in India, the world's most populous nation and open their doors to hundreds of millions of customers.
Source: Reuters
https://www.reuters.com/markets/commodities/lab-grown-meat-can-be-kosher-halal-experts-say-2023-09-11/
(This article was written with assistance from ChatGPT)
