We have to ask Is KFC using or planning on using lab grown meat? And we did the research and have the following things to share.
The short answer is no, KFC is not currently serving lab-grown meat in its restaurants, and there is no announced plan for widespread adoption. However, KFC has explored the technology in the past. (TechCrunch)
Back in 2020, KFC Russia announced a collaboration with a company called 3D Bioprinting Solutions to research cultivated chicken nuggets made from chicken cells combined with plant materials. The idea was to develop a product with the taste and texture of chicken while using newer food technologies. (TechCrunch)
As of 2026:
- KFC has not introduced lab-grown chicken to its standard menu.
- There have been no announcements from KFC’s parent company indicating plans for a large-scale rollout.
- Cultivated meat remains a very small industry with limited commercial availability and regulatory challenges in many places. (CSG Midwest)
There are only a handful of companies approved to sell cultivated chicken in limited settings, and production volumes remain extremely small compared with the billions of pounds of conventional chicken consumed each year. (TIME)
So today, when you walk into a KFC, the chicken being served is still conventionally raised chicken, not cultivated or lab-grown meat. The earlier KFC project was more of a research and innovation effort rather than a commitment to replace traditional chicken. (Triple Pundit)
It’s an interesting question because fast-food chains often test emerging food technologies years before consumers ever see them on a menu. Whether cultivated meat becomes common in major chains like KFC over the next decade remains uncertain.
