RetailDetail EU
Europe - EN
  • België - NL
  • Belgique - FR
  • Nederland - NL
  • Europe - EN
  • Newsletter
  • Contact & Route
Members' area
  • Log in
  • Become a member
  • News
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Home
    • Electronics
    • Beauty/Care
    • DIY/Garden
    • Leisure
    • General
  • Events
    • OVERVIEW EVENTS
    • EVENT PARTNERSHIPS
  • Advertising
    • PRINT ADVERTISING
    • ONLINE ADVERTISING
  • Members’ area
RetailDetail EU
Europe - EN
  • België - NL
  • Belgique - FR
  • Nederland - NL
  • Europe - EN
  • Newsletter
  • Contact & Route
  • News
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Home
    • Electronics
    • Beauty/Care
    • DIY/Garden
    • Leisure
    • General
  • Events
    • OVERVIEW EVENTS
    • EVENT PARTNERSHIPS
  • Advertising
    • PRINT ADVERTISING
    • ONLINE ADVERTISING
  • Members’ area
Members' area
  • Log in
  • Become a member
thumb
Written by Jorg Snoeck
In this article
Share article
  • facebook
  • instagram
  • twitter
  • linkedin
  • email

Lab-grown coffee? Finland is working on it

icon
Food21 September, 2021

After cultured meat and lab-grown fish, now there is coffee made from cell cultures. Finnish researchers have succeeded in making coffee without the use of coffee beans.

 

Increasing demand for coffee

Cellular agriculture is usually associated with the production of meat, dairy and egg substitutes. But in Finland, researchers at the VTT research centre have turned their attention to coffee.

 

The project responds to the increased global demand for coffee beans and the challenges regarding sustainability that the industry is facing. Coffee is the third most widely consumed beverage globally, after water and tea, and its consumption is growing rapidly worldwide.

 

As farmers expand their acreage to meet growing demand, deforestation is a concern. Rising temperatures due to climate change are also making it increasingly challenging to grow arabica coffee.

 

The need for an alternative

According to the VTT, alternative ways of producing coffee are therefore urgently required. A research team led by Dr Heiko Rischer has found a potential solution in cellular agriculture.

 

The process of making coffee that way is very similar to the production of cultured meat. As with the production of lab-grown meat, growth media are used to grow the cells. “However, the nutrient media for plant cell cultures are much less complex than those for animal cells”, Dr Rischer tells FoodNavigator.

 

It also means that they are much less expensive. The high cost of growth media for animal cells is one of the main barriers to the sector’s development.

 

Four more years

The cultured cells, the so-called biomass, are analysed and dried afterwards. The dried powder is then processed into filter coffee.

 

Dr Richer said that the brew stood up well compared to regular coffee in terms of its aroma and taste. “However, coffee making is an art and involves iterative optimisation under the supervision of specialists with dedicated equipment. Our work marks the basis for such work.” He estimates that the first commercial laboratory coffee could be on the market within four years.

More on Food
See more
  • icon
    Food2 June, 2025
    Alexandre Bompard: “Takeover rumours point to attractiveness of Carrefour”

    Carrefour CEO Alexandre Bompard did not comment on the recent rumours of merger talks with Ahold Delhaize, but sees the interest as a positive sign: “It shows how attractive our company is to a large number of players.”

  • icon
    Food2 June, 2025
    Hamburger chain Manhattn’s targets 40 branches by 2029

    Belgian burger chain Manhattn’s wants to grow from its current eleven branches to forty by 2029. An international expansion would need the help of with franchise partners in France and the Netherlands.

  • icon
    Food2 June, 2025
    Mondelez sues Aldi for ‘blatant copying’

    Mondelez International has sued discounter Aldi over some of its private label packaging in the United Sates, stating it bears a misleading resemblance to that of Oreos and Chips Ahoy, among others. The manufacturer is claiming damages and demands a ban.

Events
  • 19
    Jun
    CATEGORY MANAGEMENT CONGRESS 2025
  • 17
    Sep
    CAPTAINS OF RETAIL 2025 – EDITION II
  • 25
    Sep
    RETAIL MARKETING DAY 2025
Most read
  • icon
    Fashion30 May, 2025
    Why Belgian Nike employees fear redundancies
  • icon
    Food28 May, 2025
    Aldi and Lidl fight price war in Germany
  • icon
    Home2 June, 2025
    83 % of Belgian furniture retailers found wanting in Federal inspection
  • icon
    Fashion7 May, 2025
    Zalando enters Luxembourg market with dedicated webshop and app
Follow RetailDetail
  • socialFacebook
  • socialTwitter
  • socialInstagram
  • sociallinkedIn
footer-logo
RetailDetail, the leading b2b-retailcommunity in the Benelux, keeps retail professionals up-to-date by means of online & offline publications, retail events, inspiring retail hunts and the unique co-creation platform The Loop, where retailers and their suppliers can experience the future of shopping.
Mailing Address
Kolveniersstraat 7, bus 26 2000 Antwerp
Visiting address
Stadsfeestzaal – Meir 78 2000 Antwerp
How to reach us:
Directions
© 2025 RetailDetail
general conditions | privacy policy
Contact us About us info@retaildetail.be
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Accept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the ...
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT