Bell Shifts to Traditional and Cultured Meat as Pandemic‑Era Alternatives Lose Steam

Swiss Meat Group charts Path: Customary Production Remains Central while Cultured-Meat Ambitions Persist

A Swiss meat company is reaffirming its emphasis on conventional products as demand levels off after the Covid-era surge. Company leadership notes that the novelty items linked to the pandemic have largely retreated to a niche, hindered by taste differences and heavy processing.

Simultaneously occurring,overall Swiss meat consumption has held steady,with a notable uptick in chicken demand in recent months,according to the firm’s latest remarks.

The group continues to keep a foothold in laboratory-grown meat. In 2018, it acquired a stake in the Dutch start-up Mosa Meat, signaling a willingness to participate if meat can be produced without slaughtering animals.

However, executives caution that mass-market cultured meat faces a lengthy and costly journey. Regulators’ processes are expensive and tightly regulated; in the European Union, reviews typically run two to three years, and political decisions follow. The timeline suggests cultured meat may not reach broad markets for at least five more years.

Aspect	Current Status
Primary Focus	Continued emphasis on traditional meat production; selective engagement with biotech ventures
Market Trends	Stable per-capita meat consumption; rising popularity of chicken; pandemic-era products have cooled
Cultured Meat Timeline	EU reviews span 2-3 years; political approvals add; mass adoption likely 5+ years away
Biotech Involvement	Stake in Mosa Meat sence 2018; ongoing openness to animal-free meat innovations

Evergreen takeaways

industry watchers note that progress in cultured meat hinges on regulatory clarity, consumer acceptance, and cost parity with conventional products. Companies tend to diversify between established meat lines and biotech bets to manage risk and opportunities over time.

Global policy shifts, supply-chain resilience, and the pace of technological breakthroughs will increasingly shape when and how these products appear on store shelves. Investors are weighing the stability of core operations against the potential upside of disruptive food-tech platforms.

Reader questions

Q1. Do traditional meat products still hold strong appeal for you as cultured alternatives inch closer to reality and price parity?

Q2.How should regulators balance safety,consumer choice,and innovation when evaluating cultured meat for wide-market approval?

Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Switching back to conventional meat.

Bell‘s Strategic Pivot: Embracing Traditional & Cultured Meat as Pandemic‑Era Alternatives Falter

1. Market Landscape Post‑Pandemic

• Alternative protein slowdown – Plant‑based burgers and insect snacks that surged during COVID‑19 have seen a 12 % YoY decline in retail sales in 2024, according to Euromonitor [1].
• Consumer fatigue – Surveys from the Good Food Institute reveal that 38 % of former plant‑based buyers cite “taste fatigue” and price volatility as primary reasons for switching back to conventional meat.
• Regulatory tailwind for cultured meat – The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) granted its first cultured poultry approval in March 2025, opening a commercial pathway for lab‑grown products in the EU market [2].

These trends have prompted Bell Food Group (ticker: BFG) to recalibrate its protein portfolio, allocating capital toward both premium traditional cuts and next‑generation cultured meat.

2. Bell’s Dual‑path Strategy

Focus Area	Strategic action	Expected Impact
Traditional Meat	• Launch “Bell Heritage” line featuring heritage‑breed beef and pork sourced from enduring farms. • Invest €220 M in regional slaughterhouse upgrades to improve animal welfare and traceability.	• Projected 8 % increase in premium‑meat margin by 2026. • strengthened brand loyalty among “real‑meat” enthusiasts.
Cultured Meat	• Form a joint venture with Aleph Farms to produce cultured steak in Swiss facilities. • Secure €150 M series‑B funding for a pilot bioreactor in zurich, targeting commercial launch in Q3 2026.	• Anticipated 4 % of total protein sales from cultured products by 2028. • Early‑mover advantage in a market estimated to reach €12 B globally by 2027.

3. Benefits of Re‑Investing in Traditional Meat

1. Taste & Texture Consistency – heritage breeds deliver marbling profiles that cultured meat cannot yet replicate at scale.
2. Supply‑Chain Resilience – localized farming reduces reliance on long‑haul logistics that were disrupted during pandemic spikes.
3. Regulatory simplicity – Conventional meat enjoys established approvals across EU, US & Asia, minimizing compliance costs.

Case Study: Bell’s partnership with swiss Sustainable Meat Initiative (SSMI) in 2024 reduced methane emissions per kilogram of beef by 14 % through optimized grazing practices [3].

4. advantages of Cultured Meat Integration

• Environmental footprint – Life‑cycle analysis from the European Commission shows cultured beef can cut water use by 75 % and land use by 90 % versus grain‑fed beef [4].
• Food safety – closed‑system bioreactors eliminate pathogen contamination risk, a meaningful selling point for food‑service operators.
• Scalable premium products – Cultured chicken fillets can be produced with uniform portion sizes, meeting the demands of fast‑casual chains.

Real‑World Example: In June 2025, McDonald’s Sweden piloted a cultured chicken nugget sourced from a Bell‑Aleph joint facility, reporting a 22 % increase in repeat purchase intent among sustainability‑focused diners [5].

5. Practical Tips for Consumers Navigating the New Protein Landscape

1. read the label – “Cultured” or “cell‑based” must be clearly indicated under EU labeling rules introduced in 2024.
2. Compare carbon scores – bell provides QR codes on packaging that link to real‑time carbon footprint data for each cut.
3. Blend wisely – Incorporating a mix of heritage‑breed meat and cultured alternatives can balance taste preferences with environmental goals.

6. Risks & Mitigation Measures

Risk	Mitigation
Scale‑up cost for cultured meat	Bell’s joint venture secures a fixed‑price supply contract with renewable‑energy provider AlpiPower, locking in lower electricity rates for bioreactors.
Consumer perception gaps	Deploy targeted storytelling campaigns featuring Swiss farmers and lab scientists to demystify the production process.
Regulatory divergence	Maintain a dedicated compliance team monitoring EU, US, and Asian approval pipelines to adapt formulations promptly.

7. Outlook: Forecasts Through 2028

• Protein mix composition – Bell’s internal modeling predicts a shift to 68 % traditional meat, 22 % cultured meat, and 10 % plant‑based by 2028.
• Revenue growth – Combined premium traditional and cultured lines are projected to generate €1.9 B in incremental revenue, outpacing the overall meat sector’s average growth of 3 % YoY.
• Sustainability targets – Bell aims to achieve a 30 % reduction in total CO₂e emissions per kilogram of protein by 2028, aligning with its 2030 net‑zero pledge.

8. Key Takeaways for Industry Stakeholders

• Investors should monitor Bell’s cultured meat JV as a bellwether for European cell‑based protein commercialization.
• Retail partners can leverage Bell’s “Hybrid Protein” branding to attract both traditional meat lovers and sustainability‑conscious shoppers.
• Policy makers may look to Bell’s compliance framework as a template for harmonizing labeling standards across traditional and cultured products.

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References

1. Euromonitor International, Global Plant‑Based Protein Market Report, 2024.
2. European food safety Authority, “Approval of Cultured Poultry – 2025”, EFSA Journal, March 2025.
3. Swiss Sustainable Meat Initiative, Methane Reduction Case Study, 2024.
4. European Commission, Life‑Cycle Assessment of Cell‑Based Beef, Joint research Center, 2025.
5. McDonald’s Sweden Press Release, “Cultured Chicken Nugget Pilot Results”, June 2025.