A San Francisco startup, Mission Barns, has developed meatballs and bacon using cultivated pork fat from a Yorkshire pig named Dawn, who remains alive at a sanctuary in upstate New York. The products blend the lab-grown fat with plant proteins to mimic traditional meat flavors while reducing environmental and ethical concerns. Tasters report the items taste nearly identical to conventional pork.
Mission Barns is pioneering cultivated meat by growing pork fat in bioreactors using a small sample from Dawn, a Yorkshire pig living comfortably at a sanctuary in upstate New York. The company replicates bodily conditions with nutrients like carbohydrates, amino acids, and vitamins to proliferate the cells. This fat is then combined with plant-based ingredients to produce unstructured items such as meatballs, bacon, sausages, and salami, which are easier and cheaper to create than structured cuts like pork loins.
The author sampled these products at an Italian restaurant south of Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, describing the meatballs as springy and the bacon as having a nice applewood smoke flavor. At Mission Barns' headquarters, prototypes of salami were tested, noted for their easy chew and grease stains, enhancing the realistic mouthfeel. Priced at $13.99 for eight meatballs, the products were briefly sold at a Berkeley grocery store and the restaurant.
In June, the U.S. Department of Agriculture approved Mission Barns to market its cultivated fat. The technology is cell-agnostic, potentially applicable to beef and chicken, starting with pork due to its fat-rich market. "We’re essentially recapitulating all of the environmental cues that make cells inside the body grow fat, [but] outside the body," said Saam Shahrokhi, chief technology officer. Plant bases vary: pea protein for meatballs and sausages, wheat for bacon, and fava beans for salami.
Bianca Le, head of special projects, highlighted that plant-based meats often lack flavor and juiciness, which the fat provides. Zach Tyndall, product development manager, emphasized familiar cooking behavior: "If someone has to relearn how to cook a piece of bacon or a meatball, then it’s never going to work."
Livestock accounts for 10 to 20 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. Mission Barns models show their process, using renewable energy, significantly reduces emissions compared to U.S. bacon production. Early adopters include flexitarians, with some vegetarians and vegans trying the products. The company plans to scale production and license the technology internationally.