Cultured Meat and Future Food Podcast · Alex Shirazi

Robert Yaman of Innovate Animal Ag

·34 min·2 clips

Global chick culling is estimated at six to seven billion a year, and about 400 million in the U.S.

1. Cultured Meat and Future Food Podcast features Robert Yehman and Innovate Animal Ag, with a focus on in-ovo egg-sexing technology for future food systems. 2. Robert Yehman is the founder of Innovate Animal Ag, and he says his background includes working in cultivated meat since 2017 and running operations at Mission Barns. 3. The episode asks why egg-sexing technology matters now and how a new nonprofit can speed adoption in the U.S. 4. Yehman says his interest in animal welfare led him to read polls showing that people care about farm animal treatment. 5. He cites one poll saying about half of Americans would support banning factory farms, while other studies show around 70% discomfort with certain farming practices. 6. Yehman says those results helped convince him that animal welfare is business-relevant for producers and retailers. 7. He argues that technology can align consumer concern, producer incentives, and better lives for animals on farms. 8. Yehman points to Temple Grandin as a model because she works collaboratively with producers and has industry respect. 9. He says Innovate Animal Ag is deliberately focused on technologies that directly improve animal health and welfare on farms. 10. He describes egg-sexing as the first major area because male chicks in layer production are culled after hatch. 11. Yehman estimates the practice at six to seven billion chicks globally each year and about 400 million in the United States. 12. He says current manual sexing is about 98% accurate, while commercial technologies aim for roughly 90% to 95% accuracy. 13. He explains that one European technology uses hyperspectral imaging, another uses MRI, and a third group uses allantoic sampling. 14. Yehman says those systems are already commercialized in Europe, with one imaging technology operating in seven hatcheries. 15. He says Germany banned chick culling because consumer opposition was strong, and the ban pushed industry innovation. 16. Yehman says Europe now has a price increase of about one to three euro cents per egg, which he compares to cage-free premiums. 17. The tone is practical and explanatory, with Yehman answering detailed follow-up questions about eggs, hatcheries, feed, and regulation. 18. The format is a long interview with the host pressing on definitions, economics, and implementation details. 19. Listeners interested in animal welfare technology and egg production policy. 20. Listeners wanting celebrity news or light entertainment.

As heard by us

A practical look at egg-sexing tech, animal welfare, and where adoption may start.

Robert Yehman breaks down in-ovo egg-sexing, then keeps the conversation grounded in the awkward part that usually gets skipped: how the technology gets commercialized and who it reaches first.

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Why you'd press play

Press play if you want the reality behind in-ovo egg-sexing technology.

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