Is lab-grown meat halal?
It depends: many scholars say lab-grown meat can be halal if the starting cells come from a halal, properly slaughtered animal and nothing haram is used to grow them. This is a new question, so views are still developing. Cells from pigs, or growth media made from forbidden ingredients, would make it not halal.
What lab-grown meat is
Lab-grown (also called cultivated or cell-based) meat is real animal meat grown from a small sample of cells. The cells are fed a nutrient liquid, called a growth medium, inside large steel tanks until they multiply into muscle and fat. It has been approved for sale in Singapore and the USA, and more countries are reviewing it. It is not the same as plant-based meat, which contains no animal cells at all.
The three questions scholars ask
- Where do the cells come from? The Prophet ﷺ said, "Whatever is cut from an animal while it is alive is dead meat" (Jami' at-Tirmidhi 1480). So many scholars require the cells to come from a halal animal that was slaughtered Islamically, not from a biopsy of a living animal. Some scholars are more flexible about a tiny cell sample; this is still debated.
- What is the growth medium? Older methods used fetal bovine serum, taken from calves' blood. Blood is forbidden in the Quran, so the medium must be free of blood and other haram ingredients.
- Is it safe? Islam forbids food that harms you. Food safety approval matters.
Rulings so far
Singapore's Islamic council (MUIS) issued a fatwa in 2024 saying cultivated meat can be halal if these conditions are met. Other halal bodies and researchers in Malaysia, the Gulf and Europe have reached similar conclusions, while some scholars prefer to wait until the technology is better understood. The general principle is that Allah has already explained what is forbidden:
So a new food isn't haram just because it's new. It's judged by its source and ingredients. The same thinking is used for modern medicines. See Are vaccines halal for Muslims?
What this means for you
Lab-grown meat is still rare in shops and restaurants. If you come across it, look for a halal certificate from a recognised body, not just the word "halal" on a menu. Ordinary meat is still the normal halal option. See How is halal meat slaughtered? Some Muslims are drawn to cultivated meat for animal-welfare reasons; Islam also cares about animal welfare in normal slaughter. See Is halal meat cruel?
- Lab-grown meat is real meat grown from animal cells.
- The cells should come from a halal, properly slaughtered animal.
- The growth medium must be free of blood and haram ingredients.
- Look for proper halal certification; views are still developing.
People also ask
Is baby formula halal?
Yes, most baby formula is halal: it's made from cow's or goat's milk, plant oils and vitamins. Here's what to check on the label if unsure.
Read the full answer →Can Muslims eat food cooked by a woman on her period?
Yes, Muslims can eat food cooked by a woman on her period. Her hands and body are pure, and the Prophet ate and drank with Aisha during hers.
Read the full answer →Is it better to eat together in Islam?
Yes, eating together is encouraged in Islam and brings more blessing to food, but eating alone is still halal. What the Quran and hadith say.
Read the full answer →What does tayyib mean in food?
Tayyib means good, pure and wholesome: food that is clean, healthy, ethically produced and lawfully earned, on top of being halal. Here's how.
Read the full answer →Is it haram to waste food?
Is it haram to waste food? Careless waste is disliked and can be sinful in Islam. What the Quran and sunnah say, and easy ways to waste less.
Read the full answer →