Bell Food to increase investment in Mosa Meat

Swiss meat processor Bell Food Group has unveiled its plans to increase its investment in the Dutch start-up Mosa Meat, which is engaged in the production of cultured beef.

With this investment, the Bell Food Group intends to actively take part in the new trends in the convenience food sector and access the booming market for meat alternatives.

Bell Food stated that it is taking part in Mosa Meat’s next financing round with €5m.

Proceeds from the round will be used by Mosa Meat for the construction of an industrial production plant and scaling-up of the technology.

An additional aim of the financing round is to launch the product into the European market by 2022.

Mosa Meat expects to be the first company to launch a cultured meat product in Europe.

In 2018, Bell Food acquired a €2m share in Mosa Meat start-up.

Bell Foods stated that it supports Mosa Meat’s development and research work with its expertise as a leading producer of meat and charcuterie products in Europe.

The Swiss firm added that it has a robust foothold in the development of innovative nutrition concepts, and invests in new production technologies and trends.

With a registered office in Maastricht, Netherlands, Mosa Meat developed a technology for producing cultured beef directly from animal cells.

In 2013, the firm presented the first cultured hamburger in the world.

The first pilot production plant will begin operation next year.

During 2022, Mosa Meat expects to start the first industrial production line and launch the first products on a small scale in selected restaurants in test markets in and probably outside Europe.

It also has plans to commission the first high-volume production plant by 2025.

According to several studies, meat consumption in the world will increase by around 3% annually, up to 2030, and the current production methods will not viable to meet this increase in demand sustainably.

It is expected that cultured meat may gain a market share of 10% by 2030.