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On December 12, a significant breakthrough occurred in the field of cultured meat in China. Nanjing Zhouzi Future Food Technology Co., Ltd., located in Nanjing’s National Agricultural High-tech Zone, has built the country’s largest pilot plant for cultured meat, successfully achieving the pilot production of cultured pork on a large scale using a 2000-liter bioreactor for the first time in the world.

What is a “pilot plant”? Simply put, it is the “critical leap” that connects laboratories to the market. Here, cutting-edge technologies are industrially validated, and through scaled pilot production, processes are streamlined, data is accumulated, and costs are reduced, paving the way for future commercial mass production.

At Zhouzi Future’s pilot plant, a complete production process is achieved, transforming a precious “cell seed” into a delicious plate of “cultured meat.” Currently, the plant can produce 100 to 500 kilograms of cultured biomass per month, with an annual capacity expansion to 10 to 50 tons of cultured meat products.

Zhouzi Future is a pioneer and leader in China’s cultured meat field. In 2019, Professor Zhou Guanghong’s team from Nanjing Agricultural University developed the country’s first piece of cultured muscle tissue. Subsequently, core team member Dr. Ding Shijie founded Zhouzi Future, establishing it in Nanjing’s National Agricultural High-tech Zone. He led the team in overcoming key technologies such as serum-free media and cell suspension scaling, applying for over 30 patents, and vigorously promoting technological transformation. In 2023, they completed the world’s first pilot production of pork using a 500-liter bioreactor; by 2025, the scale increased directly to 2000 liters, placing China at the forefront of the global cultured pork sector.

How is pork “grown” in the plant? Dr. Ding Shijie explained that the process begins with harmlessly obtaining a small piece of tissue from healthy pigs to extract stem cells as “seeds.” These cells are placed in a bioreactor, where they grow freely in a self-developed serum-free culture medium, continuously proliferating and differentiating. Within just 3 to 4 weeks, the cells grow into protein-rich cultured biomass. Using 3D bioprinting technology, the cultured biomass is constructed layer by layer into realistic meat chunks with natural color and clear texture, perfectly replicating taste and form.

Compared to traditional livestock farming, the production cycle of cultured meat is significantly shortened, and it is produced in a sterile environment, which can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 78% to 96%, save 99% of land, and reduce water use by over 80%.

Currently, 10 companies from five countries, including Singapore, the United States, and Israel, have received market approval for cultured meat. By 2025, six new products are expected to be approved, significantly accelerating the pace of industrial commercialization. The successful pilot production of Zhouzi Future’s 2000-liter bioreactor positions China as a leader in the niche market of cultured pork, securing a competitive advantage in the global food technology arena. “This is not only a technological breakthrough but also a sustainable solution to address future food security and environmental challenges,” stated Dr. Ding Shijie.