Cultivated meat producer Believer Meats has announced that it is ceasing operations after “two years of building something truly bold and special”.
The news was shared on LinkedIn by Anne Schubert, Global Vice President of Talent & Human Resources at Believer Meats. She said the move had been a “difficult decision” and “not what any of us hoped for”, but did not reveal why the company was closing down.
The announcement comes just days after AgFunder revealed that Believer Meats was being sued by the company that built its US facility. The firm claims that Believer has not paid bills amounting to $34 million.
“We built a world-class team from the ground up”
Believer Meats, which has operations in both the US and Israel, previously seemed to be on a positive trajectory. In July of this year, the company received a “No Questions” letter from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), signaling the successful pre-market safety review of its product.
At the same time, Believer announced the completion of its facility in Wilson, North Carolina, which was claimed to be the world’s first large-scale cultivated meat production site. This facility was cleared for operations by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) in October, allowing it to begin the commercial production and distribution of cultivated poultry.
“We built a world-class team from the ground up — talented, mission-driven people with diverse skills spanning engineering, biotechnology, manufacturing, food science, quality, and more,” said Schubert. “This team tackled novel and complex challenges with creativity, grit, and heart. Thank you to everyone who has supported us and continues to support the mission to build a better food future.”
