Plant-Grown Proteins Cut Cultivated Meat Costs

Plant molecular farming companies argue that growing recombinant proteins in crops can dramatically cut the production costs of cultivated meat. They say this approach removes the need for the expensive fermentation infrastructure traditionally used to produce essential growth factors.

Companies like Iceland's ORF Genetics and Israel's BioBetter are part of a small but growing group of suppliers. They are replacing costly, animal-derived or pharmaceutical-grade growth factors with plant-based recombinant alternatives. These growth factors are nutrient-rich liquid solutions that feed animal cells and represent one of the most expensive components in cultivated meat production.

Barley-Based Production Cuts Costs Up to 100-Fold

ORF Genetics uses genetically engineered barley to manufacture animal-free proteins, including growth factors for its MESOkine portfolio aimed at the cultivated meat sector. Traditionally, these proteins are produced in microorganisms within expensive steel tank bioreactors, a method borrowed from pharmaceuticals.

ORF employs a bioengineered, endotoxin-free barley seed host. The company claims this system is cheaper to scale than fermentation systems requiring steel bioreactors. While ORF did not specify exact cost reductions, Chief Scientific Officer Björn Örvar stated the company's technology has reduced the cost of growth factors by between 50 to 100 times in recent years.

"Our production platform is easy to scale up fast and with very low CAPEX compared to traditional bioreactors," Örvar said. He added that the platform is geared toward economy-of-scale, allowing ORF to offer dramatic cost reductions for cultivated meat companies. The company's main challenge, however, is the scaling speed of its customers, which include producers like Mosa Meat and Vow.

In February, ORF entered a commercial distribution partnership with life-science distributor Tebubio to distribute its animal-free growth factors and cytokines. Over 25 years, the company has raised several funding rounds, including approximately €5 million in October 2025 to expand its product portfolio and market development.

Tobacco Plants Enable $1-Per-Gram Growth Factors

BioBetter produces its growth factors in tobacco plants as a lower-cost alternative for the cultivated meat industry. The company claims it can reduce costs to just $1 per gram, a stark contrast to the typical cost of tens of thousands of dollars per gram for traditional growth factors.

The company engineers Nicotiana tabacum plants to produce growth factors connected to a cellulose-binding tag. This method allows the proteins to be secured by cheaper cellulose materials instead of expensive chromatography equipment. BioBetter states this process minimizes downstream-processing costs and could enable the large-scale production of affordable growth factors.

While focused on cultivated meat, BioBetter has also adapted its protein platform for other sectors, including cosmetics and aesthetics. The claims from both ORF Genetics and BioBetter highlight a significant shift in the production methodology for a key cultivated meat ingredient, moving it from a high-cost, pharmaceutical-style process toward a more scalable agricultural model.