Blind tasting of cultivated vs. traditionally grown chicken finds them indistinguishable

In a taste test hosted by SuperMeat, samples were indiscernible by a panel of professional chefs; potential for big impact on poultry industry

cultivated vs traditional poultry.jpg — In a taste test hosted by SuperMeat, samples of traditional and and cultivated chicken were indiscernible by a panel of professional chefs, which has the potential for a big impact on the poultry industry.
*Photo courtesy of SuperMeat*

Michal Ansky rsz.jpg — Michal Ansky, gastronomist, food journalist and "Master Chef" judge, was surprised when the cultivated chicken was ultimately revealed, having guessed the opposite. She is reported saying, “I’m extremely happy I was wrong...This kind of breakthrough has been a long time coming."
*Photo courtesy of SuperMeat*

Yair Yosefi rsz.jpg — Chef Yair Yosefi was among the taste testers for SuperMeat's cultivated vs. traditional chicken challenge.
*Photo courtesy of SuperMeat*

SuperMeat, a food-tech company that develops cultivated meat products, has announced the results of the first-ever blind tasting of cultivated chicken compared to traditional, conventionally produced chicken.

At SuperMeat’s Tel Aviv restaurant The Chicken, the world’s first dining venue to serve cultivated meat meals and the site of the SuperMeat production plant, several culinary figures gathered to judge the side-by-side tasting, including “Master Chef” judge Michal Ansky and Chef Yair Yosefi. Each participant received ground cultivated and traditional chicken—without any seasoning, processing or flavor overlay—and were split in their responses, finding it very challenging to pick which chicken was which, showcasing how similar the samples were in taste, texture and substance.

Ansky was surprised when the cultivated chicken was ultimately revealed, having guessed the opposite. She is reported saying, “I’m extremely happy I was wrong, for one of the first times in my life. This kind of breakthrough has been a long time coming. As someone who loves chicken and incorporates it into family meals regularly, it’s inspiring to see a more sustainable future can be achieved via cultivated meat.”

SuperMeat believes that transparency should lead the food industry’s journey to a more just and sustainable system. To help fulfill this goal, it was the first company to open its pilot production plant to the world, providing an unfiltered end-to-end view of its manufacturing, from the plant floor to the open kitchen serving cultivated meat dishes. Hosting the world’s first blind tasting of cultivated meat was another important step in this mission, providing a professional, third-party assessment of 100% cultivated meat compared to its traditional counterpart.

“Now that we’ve shown that cultivated meat and traditional meat can be indistinguishable, the potential impact on how companies develop and produce meat products today, and consequently potential impact on our planet, is monumental,” says Ido Savir, SuperMeat CEO.