By the WahLiao desk · Last verified 28 September 2026
Singapore was the first country in the world to approve cultivated meat for sale, when the Singapore Food Agency cleared GOOD Meat’s cultivated chicken in November 2020. It was also the first place to sell cultivated meat in a shop: in May 2024, a frozen product called GOOD Meat 3 went on sale at Huber’s Butchery at $7.20 for 120g. That product was a hybrid containing 3 per cent cultivated chicken cells, with the rest made from plant ingredients. Cultivated quail from Australia’s Vow was approved in 2024 and first served in restaurants.
What you will find on an ordinary supermarket shelf today is mostly plant-based alternatives, not cultivated meat. Availability of cultivated products has been limited and campaign-style, so check with the retailer before you go looking.
Cultivated meat: quick facts
| First approval | November 2020, GOOD Meat cultivated chicken; a further approval in December 2021 |
| First retail sale | May 2024, GOOD Meat 3 at Huber’s Butchery, $7.20 for 120g, frozen |
| What GOOD Meat 3 contained | 3 per cent cultivated chicken cells; the rest wheat and soy proteins, oils and seasonings |
| Cultivated quail | Vow’s product approved by the Singapore Food Agency in April 2024, first served in restaurants |
| How approval works | Novel foods need a safety assessment and approval from the Singapore Food Agency before sale |
| On ordinary shelves | Mainly plant-based alternatives; cultivated products have been limited and intermittent |
The WahLiao Verdict
| Cost | At launch, $7.20 for 120g of the hybrid retail product, more per gram than ordinary chicken. |
| What you get | A taste of a world first, approved by Singapore’s food safety regulator. |
| The alternative | Plant-based alternatives, which are widely available, or ordinary chicken. |
| Worth it for | The curious, and anyone following food technology closely. |
| Skip it if | You want a cheaper everyday protein. That is not what this is yet. |
| Last verified | 28 September 2026, against company announcements and published reporting; current shelf availability should be checked with the retailer. |
What is cultivated meat?
Cultivated meat, sometimes called lab-grown or cell-cultured meat, is made by growing animal cells in a controlled environment rather than raising and slaughtering an animal. The cells are real animal cells; the process is closer to brewing than to farming. Because producing it at scale is still expensive, many products combine a small share of cultivated cells with plant ingredients, which is what made the first retail product affordable enough to sell.
How does Singapore approve it?
Singapore treats cultivated meat as a novel food, meaning a food without a history of safe use. Before it can be sold, the producer must submit a safety assessment and the Singapore Food Agency must approve it. GOOD Meat received the world’s first approval in November 2020, and after that its chicken was served in restaurants, through a delivery app and at hawker stalls before the 2024 retail launch. Vow became the fourth company in the world to sell cultivated meat when its cultivated quail was approved in April 2024.
What was actually on sale in a shop?
GOOD Meat 3 went on sale in the freezer section of Huber’s Butchery in May 2024, priced at $7.20 for a 120g pack of shredded chicken. It was announced for the remainder of 2024. Its cultivated share was 3 per cent; the rest was made up of wheat and soy proteins, sunflower and coconut oils, flavourings, modified starch and soy lecithin. Earlier versions served in restaurants had contained a much higher share of cultivated cells. If you are looking for it today, check with the retailer first, since availability has come in campaigns rather than as a permanent line.
Is cultivated meat halal?
In 2024 Singapore’s Islamic Religious Council, MUIS, issued a religious ruling on cultivated meat. It has been reported as allowing cultivated meat to be halal where the cells come from a halal animal and no non-halal ingredients are used. Whether a particular product is halal depends on its certification, as with any other food; our guide to halal groceries explains how to check. Questions of religious practice belong with MUIS.
What about plant-based meat?
Plant-based alternatives are made entirely from plant ingredients, such as soy, wheat, pea protein and oils, and are far more widely available than cultivated meat. Most supermarkets carry them in the chilled and frozen sections. They are not the same thing as cultivated meat, and they are not automatically healthier than meat: read the label for sodium and saturated fat, as you would for any processed food. Our guide to reading food labels shows how. Check the allergen declaration too, since soy and wheat are common ingredients.
Why is Singapore interested in new proteins?
Because it imports more than 90 per cent of its food and has little land to farm. Alternative proteins are one way to add supply that does not depend on a farm abroad or on scarce local land. They sit alongside the other pillars of Singapore’s food strategy: diverse imports, local farming and stockpiles. Our guide to why groceries cost what they do explains the import picture.
Frequently asked questions
Is cultivated meat legal in Singapore?
Yes. Singapore was the first country to approve cultivated meat, in November 2020. Each product needs approval from the Singapore Food Agency before sale.
Can I buy cultivated meat in a Singapore supermarket?
It has been sold in a shop, starting at Huber’s Butchery in May 2024, but availability has been limited and campaign-style. Check with the retailer before you go.
What is GOOD Meat 3?
A frozen hybrid chicken product containing 3 per cent cultivated chicken cells and plant ingredients, sold at Huber’s Butchery from May 2024 at $7.20 for 120g.
Is cultivated meat safe to eat?
Products sold in Singapore must pass a safety assessment and be approved by the Singapore Food Agency.
Is plant-based meat the same as cultivated meat?
No. Plant-based meat contains no animal cells. Cultivated meat is grown from animal cells.
Read next
This page belongs to How Supermarket Works, our series on the grocery network behind the shelf. Continue with local produce in Singapore and chilled, frozen or thawed meat.
Sources checked 28 September 2026: GOOD Meat, world’s first retail sales of cultivated chicken (May 2024); GOOD Meat and Huber’s Butchery partnership announcement (December 2022); reporting on Vow’s cultivated quail approval (April 2024) and the MUIS ruling on cultivated meat (2024). WahLiao has no commercial relationship with any company named. Last updated 28 September 2026.
