WACKER unveils food-grade FGF-2 growth factor to cut costs and scale cultivated meat production

WACKER has launched a food-grade version of the essential growth factor FGF-2, marking a major step toward reducing costs and improving scalability in the production of cultivated meat.

Announced in Munich on 4 November, the company’s new bioengineered protein, formally called Recombinant bovine FGF-basic Food (FGF-2 Food), has been developed specifically for food applications and produced under Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) standards. The first batches are already available, with commercial deliveries set to begin before the end of 2025.

“FGF-2 is an essential growth factor for cell cultivation in the production of cultivated meat,” commented Mathias Wiedemann, Head of Biosolutions at WACKER’s life sciences division. “With our biotechnological solution, we offer a reliable and scalable alternative to existing products – making an important contribution to establishing sustainable protein sources.”

WACKER’s Biosolutions division is developing a wider portfolio of growth factors, media proteins, and peptides to support companies producing cell-cultivated meat – real meat grown from animal cells in controlled environments. These biotechnological components are designed to replace animal-derived ingredients such as fetal calf serum, which are widely used in cell culture media but remain costly, variable, and unsuitable for large-scale food production.

FGF-2 Food plays a vital role in the proliferation of muscle and connective tissue cells, promoting their growth while preventing premature differentiation. By enabling serum-free media formulations, the growth factor is considered critical for scaling up cultivated meat production in a sustainable and cost-effective way.

The product is microbially produced through fermentation and entirely free from animal-derived components. It has been developed to meet strict food-grade quality requirements, allowing WACKER to bridge the gap between laboratory research and industrial food manufacturing. Until now, growth factors used in cell culture media were typically available only in pharmaceutical quality and in small quantities, which limited their commercial viability.

WACKER said it is the first company capable of supplying FGF-2 in food-grade quality at commercial scale – a milestone expected to help cultivated meat producers move from pilot phases toward full-scale production.

“The market for cultivated meat is expanding rapidly,” the company said. “More than 170 companies worldwide are developing solutions in this area. FGF-2 Food is a key protein for reducing costs and supporting scale-up.”

Cultivated meat has now received regulatory approval in the USA, Singapore, and the UK, with further processes underway in Europe and Asia. In the EU, companies such as Aleph Farms have initiated approval applications, part of a growing push to commercialize cell-cultivated products within the region.

WACKER has partnered with Aleph Farms since 2021 to co-develop production processes and supply chain solutions for cultivated meat. The collaboration has focused on optimizing key media components and improving manufacturing efficiency to prepare for commercial rollout.

The company said its initial launch of FGF-2 Food will target the US market, followed by expansions into Asia and Europe in 2026. By providing consistent, food-grade growth factors in commercial volumes, WACKER aims to help producers accelerate regulatory approvals, reduce reliance on pharmaceutical suppliers, and bring cultivated meat closer to price parity with conventional products.

“FGF-2 Food represents a turning point for cultivated meat,” Wiedemann said. “Our goal is to enable producers to scale up responsibly, affordably, and sustainably – and to make this next generation of protein accessible to more consumers worldwide.”