Since veganism means no animal inputs whatsoever, by definition, cultivated meat doesn’t fall under this umbrella. But it has been subject to discussion, with many vegans expressing interest in trying the products just as others denounce the use of animal cells to create these products.

To settle that debate, The Vegan Society – the charity that coined the term ‘vegan’ – has published a research briefing that states in no uncertain terms: “Cultured meat is not vegan. Furthermore, it may never be considered vegan.”

Chris Bryant, a social scientist and director of Bryan Research, offers a more nuanced take. “Cultivated meat is likely to decrease speciesism, not increase it, and cultivated meat companies care about animal suffering,” he notes, suggesting that some versions of these proteins are “absolutely not vegan”, but others are, even if they “may not be perfectly vegan”.

He concludes that refusing to support cultivated meat – especially on the basis of speciesism or capitalism – is “misguided” and likely to increase animal suffering.

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