The landscape is already changing. The first cell-based chicken appeared on a Singapore restaurant menu in late 2020, and several companies say they are confidentcell-based meat will be approved in the United States this year.

Companies are using technologies such as CRISPR to make crops more desirable to consumers through genetic modification. After decades of working toward approval, the first genetically modified animal product — AquAdvantage salmon — is slated to hit grocery store shelves this year. And a proposed rule change may modify the way most bioengineered meat gets regulatory approval, which many say would make it easier for these products to go forward.

As research and technology continue in 2021, the question remains: Will consumers want to try products that result from these developments? 

Transparency about the process is… critical to drive acceptance, [Pairwise Co-founder Haven] Baker said.

“In the past, some of the benefits were not obvious. But healthier vegetables, getting rid of seeds that get caught in your teeth, or maybe in some cases cause digestive issues, these are real problems that we can relate to. So transparency around both the problem and the solution will lead to better acceptance.”

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