Yu Ka Chan

Yu Ka grew up as a vegetarian, and the idea of finding a solution to alleviate animal suffering was always something he was passionate about. However, finding this solution always seemed to be an impossibility, and he eventually abandoned this goal.

This changed about 7 years ago, during Yu Ka’s university studies when he came across an article describing the world’s first Cultivated-Meat (real meat produced without the need to raise and sacrifice animal lives). The article explained that Cultivated-Meat was made with meat cells sampled from an animal without harm. Since the final product had the exact same molecular structure as regular meat (just meat cells and proteins), there was no need to mimic the taste or nutrition of meat. It simply is meat.

Instantly being drawn to the promise of this technology in creating a true replacement for meat that can save animals, reduce carbon, and most importantly improve human health, Yu Ka decided to dedicate his life to making Cultivated-Meat a reality.

Since founding Nutrir, Yu Ka has led his team to achieving 100-fold reductions in Cost of Goods Sold, while simultaneously developing a process free from genetic-editing/hormones to further improve human health. Additionally, the team at Nutrir has successfully fabricated muscle-fibres that are thinner than a strand of hair, which enables enhanced texture.

This approach of improving human health with Cultivated-Meat products free from genetic-editing/hormones is at the core of Nutrir’s mission, alongside creating a greener food system.

My Sustainability Goals for 2024:

I hope to bring more awareness that food can be one of the most effective approaches to fight against climate change. In order for Cultivated-Meat to be successful, it requires the support of the community. I also hope that after learning about this space, more people will be drawn towards various food technology solutions.