What is artificial food called? Exploring synthetic and cultured names

January 3, 2026 •

4 min read

The global market for synthetic and artificial food is projected to reach over $21 billion by 2031, driven by sustainability concerns. As modern food science advances, understanding the proper terminology is essential. So, what is artificial food called, and how do different terms like 'synthetic' and 'bioengineered' apply to the foods we eat?

Quick Summary

Artificial food is known by many names depending on its production method, such as synthetic food, cultured meat, or bioengineered food. The terminology reflects its lab-based or tech-driven origins.

Key Points

Synthetic food: Refers to a broad category of food made using chemical or biotechnological methods, replicating natural food traits.
Cultured/Cultivated meat: A type of synthetic food grown directly from animal cells in a laboratory or bioreactor, identical to conventional meat.
Bioengineered food: Includes foods from organisms with genetic material modified in a lab, also commonly known as GMOs.
Food additives: Synthetic substances like colors, flavors, and preservatives are considered artificial ingredients, though not the food itself.
Terminology depends on the process: The correct name depends on whether the food is grown from cells, genetically modified, or simply contains synthetic additives.
Sustainability drives innovation: Many modern artificial foods are developed to address environmental and food security concerns associated with traditional agriculture.

The question, "What is artificial food called?" has no single answer, as the term encompasses a wide range of products created or modified through technology rather than traditional agriculture. The specific name depends on the type of food and the process used to create it. Key terms include synthetic food, cultured or cultivated meat, and bioengineered food, each representing a different facet of modern food production.

Synthetic Food: From the Lab to the Plate

Synthetic food is a broad category referring to food products made using chemical processes or biotechnology. These foods are manufactured to replicate the taste, texture, and nutritional value of traditional products and often serve as scalable, sustainable alternatives. Synthetic food was first pioneered by NASA in the 1950s for astronauts on long space missions, and the technology has since evolved significantly.

Modern synthetic food is produced in controlled laboratory or industrial conditions using a culture or growth medium containing essential nutrients like proteins, carbohydrates, and fats.

Examples of synthetic food products include:

Meatless burgers: Plant-based patties that use synthetic proteins and flavor compounds to mimic the taste of beef.
Vegan cheese: Dairy-free alternatives made with precision fermentation to create milk proteins identical to those from cows.
Artificial sweeteners: Lab-derived compounds like aspartame and sucralose that provide a sweet taste without the calories of sugar.
Synthetic flavors and colors: Widely used in processed foods to improve taste, smell, and appearance.

Cultured or Cultivated Meat: A Cellular Approach

Often called 'lab-grown' or 'cell-based' meat, cultured meat is produced by growing animal cells in vitro, directly creating animal flesh outside of a living animal. This process is distinct from plant-based alternatives and is molecularly identical to conventional meat. Proponents often use the term 'cultivated meat' to distance it from the negative connotations of 'lab-grown' and emphasize its origins from cell culture rather than a laboratory.

How cultured meat is made:

Cell collection: Stem cells are painlessly taken from a living animal.
Growth in a bioreactor: The cells are placed in a nutrient-rich culture medium in a large bioreactor, similar to a brewery vat.
Tissue formation: The cells multiply, differentiating into muscle and fat cells that form real meat tissue.

This method addresses ethical concerns regarding animal welfare and aims to reduce the environmental impact of traditional livestock farming.

Bioengineered Food: Altering Genetic Makeup

Another significant category of artificially produced food is known as bioengineered (BE) food. This term, used by the USDA, refers to food produced from organisms with genetic material modified through laboratory techniques that could not be achieved through conventional breeding. These are often referred to by the more familiar term Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs).

Common GMO crops are modified for resistance to pests, herbicides, or diseases, or to enhance nutritional content. Examples include herbicide-tolerant soy and pest-resistant corn, which are prevalent in processed foods.

Bioengineered vs. Traditional Farming:


Feature	Bioengineered Food (GMO)	Traditional Food (Non-GMO)
Genetic Material	Modified using laboratory techniques; altered DNA.	Natural DNA; no lab-based alteration.
Purpose	Enhanced traits like pest resistance, herbicide tolerance, or nutrient content.	Selected for desirable traits through cross-breeding.
Regulation	Regulated by USDA/FDA with mandatory labeling in the U.S..	Subject to standard food safety regulations.
Production Process	Involves direct genetic manipulation in a lab setting.	Relies on traditional agricultural methods.
Examples	Bt-corn, herbicide-resistant soy, virus-resistant papaya.	Heirloom tomatoes, organic vegetables.

The Role of Food Additives

Food additives are substances added to foods for technical purposes, such as to preserve flavor, enhance shelf life, or improve appearance. While many additives are naturally derived, others are chemically synthesized and fall under the umbrella of artificial food ingredients.

Common artificial food additives:

Artificial colors: Dyes like Red 40 are used to enhance the visual appeal of many snack foods and drinks.
Artificial flavors: Synthetic substances created to mimic natural flavors, often for cost-effectiveness.
Preservatives: Man-made chemicals, such as butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), that prolong a product's freshness.

Conclusion

In summary, there is no single name for all types of artificially produced food. The terminology is nuanced and depends on the specific production method. A product may be called synthetic food if it's created through chemical or biotechnological processes, cultured or cultivated meat if grown from animal cells, or bioengineered food if its genetic material has been modified. These different names reflect the diverse and rapidly evolving landscape of modern food technology, which is continually reshaping what we eat.

For more detailed information on genetically modified foods and their regulation, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration provides extensive resources via its Agricultural Biotechnology initiative.

Frequently Asked Questions

Synthetic food is a general term for items made using chemical and biotech methods, while cultured meat is a specific type of synthetic food produced by growing animal cells in a lab.

Yes, foods from genetically modified organisms are often called bioengineered foods in the U.S. and are a category of artificially produced food.

Common examples include vegan cheese made through precision fermentation, plant-based meat substitutes with synthetic flavors, and laboratory-created meal replacement powders.

The term 'clean meat' was coined to emphasize the environmental and food safety benefits, such as a lack of antibiotics, associated with its sterile production process.

Artificial flavors and colors are synthetic additives used in processed foods, whereas the broader term 'artificial food' can refer to the main product itself, like cultivated meat or bioengineered crops.

Yes, in the U.S., foods containing detectable modified genetic material must be labeled as 'Bioengineered' according to the National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard.

Precision fermentation is a synthetic biology technique that uses genetically modified microorganisms, like yeast or bacteria, to produce specific compounds such as proteins for dairy alternatives.