Magic Valley's cultivated lamb is free of animal components

Scientists at Australian food company Magic Valley have created a cultivated lamb meat prototype that is completely free from animal by-products — a milestone that comes at a time when more than a third of Australians are considering new ways to reduce their animal intake.

The scientists at Magic Valley are working towards transforming the future of large-scale protein production and removing animals from the supply chain. Their prototype — initially created in the form of burgers and tacos — is said to look and cook just like real lamb yet has the potential for a healthier nutritional profile, showcasing what is possible for the future of cultivated meat products.

To create the prototype, a small skin biopsy was taken from Lucy the lamb, who is happily residing in a field in NSW. The cells from Lucy were then grown in Magic Valley’s Melbourne lab, where they are made into cultivated meat products.

The process used by Magic Valley takes the skin cells and turns them into induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells. The iPS cells can grow in an unlimited and scalable way and can also be made into muscle and fat — the main components of meat. Many other businesses in the cultivated meat industry rely on the use of foetal bovine serum — a by-product of the slaughter process — to grow these cells, but Magic Valley’s technology means animals are not used anymore, other than the initial skin scraping.

“By 2024, cultivated meat products will be indistinguishable from traditionally farmed meat, with the ability to enhance nutrients to positively impact the human population,” said Magic Valley founder and CEO Paul Bevan.

“With the global population predicted to reach 10 billion people by 2050, the traditional methods of animal agriculture are simply inadequate to meet the protein needs of our future generations.

“The move away from traditional meat consumption is motivated by many different reasons for Australians, but the science has shown that if we are not feeding livestock and instead feeding ourselves, this is a viable way to nourish the human population beyond 2050.”

Magic Valley is now looking to scale up its abilities after the success of the prototype, with a $5 million seed capital raise ahead. This funding will help realise Magic Valley’s plans to create beef and pork prototypes and work with like-minded companies to get its range of products regulated — and onto Australian dinner tables — by 2024.

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