Construction Has Officially Begun On The World's Largest Cultivated Meat Plant
Many can enjoy a juicy burger, but sometimes, it's hard to not think about where it comes from or how it's made. In the modern world, no animals need to be harmed in the making of your hamburger, with plant-based meat substitutes becoming the wave of the future. According to Statista, the total global revenue generated by plant-based meat products was over $10 billion in 2022, and that figure is projected to surpass $35 billion by the year 2027.
Even fast food restaurants, some of the most voracious purveyors of meat, have got into the plant-based game. In 2018, Del Taco partnered with Beyond Meat to make a vegetarian version of the chain's crunchy taco, and in 2019, consumers were introduced to KFC's Beyond Meat fried chicken.
The plant-based substitute powerhouse Future Meat rebranded as Believer Meats in 2022, per Vegconomist. Clearly, the brand believes in itself, as it recently started construction on the biggest cultivated meat plant on the planet.
Believer Meats has broken ground on a massive processing plant
According to a Believer Meats press release, the new facility, which is located in Wilson, North Carolina, is slated to span a staggering 200,000 square feet. Once finished, the facility will be capable of pumping out around 10,000 metric tons of its plant-based product every year. The press release goes on to say that Believer Meats planned investment in the project is $123.5 million. Believer also expects that 100 new jobs will come about from the facility's construction.
If Believer Meats is able to deliver on its promise of job creation, the company will receive a $500,000 grant from the One North Carolina Fund, per Food Business News. The new facility will feature Believer Meats' proprietary bioreactors, which are able to construct the plant-based product at an accelerated rate. There will also be a tasting kitchen where new products can be sampled. As of now, the plan is for the facility to open early in 2024.