What if one told you animals should be harmed no longer and you can still enjoy your beloved burger? Imagine no more environmental costs because of meat production, no more unethical treatments of animals, no more murder. This could well be the future of the meat industry. Sounds appealing doesn’t it?
In the past years scientists have been trying to achieve the development of cultured meat, also known as “clean” meat. Cultured meat is fabricated by the cultivation of stem cells. These cells have the unique characteristic of being able to differentiate in any cell type, including muscle cells. By means of this method only a few living cells of an animal need to be isolated to start producing cultured meat. According to the company Mosa Meat, 1 sample of cow tissue is sufficient to make 80 000 burgers!
Now you might think: “If this meat is so beneficial and amazing, how come I’ve never seen it in the supermarkets yet?” In order to serve as a credible alternative to conventional meat, lab grown meat should be efficiently produced and should mimic meat in all of its physical sensations, most importantly the taste. The optimal combination of biochemical and physical conditions for culturing stem cells, hasn’t been found yet. This means that the protein synthesis by cultured muscle cells hasn’t been maximized and the ideal substitute for conventional meat is still in the make. Another important factor is the product cost. In 2013 the cost of 1 burger was up to 300 000$! Over the past years the costs have dropped to a good 600$ for 1 burger which is nevertheless a mind-blowing number. If the trend continues, cultured meat will be ready in several years to compete with conventional meat production.
Though there is some work to do, the prospects are promising. With hope in mind and further progress in research and upcoming technology, there will soon be a future where people can enjoy their meals without hurting flora or fauna.
sources:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0309174012001210
