Lab Grown Meat – Is This the Future?
With vegetarianism on the rise and the imminent threat of global warming, when we think about eating meat, negative thoughts may brew in our minds. Could meat grown in a lab provide an alternative to eating normal meat? Would it provide sufficient nutrients? And most importantly, how similar would it taste?
The issue with meat:
Meat is a staple food, eaten with almost every meal - particularly dinner. With pork and chicken taking the top places for most-consumed meats (according to the World Animal Foundation), we are having to cultivate billions of animals. According to Our World in Data, 6.58 billion chickens were slaughtered for meat in 2022 alone! Furthermore, the mass-consumerism of meat had been highlighted as a significant factor for global warming recently. One of the biggest culprits is cattle (the world’s third most consumed meat), producing 3.7% of global greenhouse gases (as stated by the intergovernmental panel on climate change and agriculture organisation of the United Nations), due to the methane that they produce. This devastating fact suggests that we should perhaps be making the effort to limit our intake of meat in order to help save the environment.
Another key issue with the consumption of meat lies within the vegetarian sector. Many vegetarians object to eating meat, due to concerns over animal cruelty, with reference to the culling and inhumane treatment of agricultural animals. Others may choose a vegetarian diet, due to health reasons. Lab-grown meat could offer an alternative for vegetarians, providing a non-animal derived and healthier option.
How is it made?
The process of cultivating lab-grown meat is surprisingly simple. The meat can be grown in anything ranging from a test-tube to a stainless-steel bioreactor. Cells are harvested from an animal via a harmless biopsy. Next, the cells are transferred into a warm and sterile vessel. A growth medium is added to the vessel, containing salts, proteins and carbohydrates. These nutrients are used as a “food” for the meat cells to thrive from. The solution is left in the vessel for a set period (often a few days), allowing the meat cells to grow. Finally, the meat is harvested and packaged up, ready to ship to a shop and ends up on a plate, with no animals harmed in the process!
Interestingly, according to BBC Science Focus, lab grown meat originated from research into regenerative medicine. Professor Mark Post cultured the world’s first lab-grown burger in 2013, having previously carried out research on repairing human heart tissue.
Nutritional value
On the basis of nutritional value, the nutrient content of lab-grown meat would be similar to normal meat, as quoted by a spokesperson from UPSIDE foods, reported by the BBC. However, there is possibility to enhance the nutrient content of the meat. Whilst grown in the vats, extra protein and healthy minerals can be added, to cultivate a nutritional product. It is also possible for levels of unhealthy fats, such as cholesterol to be removed from the lab-grown meat. This could mean that it is a better choice for those who are on strict diets or who have certain medical conditions, which restrict the intake of substances such as cholesterol.
How similar would it be to normal meat?
It is crucial to remember that we are talking about lab grown meat here. No bones. No skin. No veins of fat marbled through the meat. Muscle cells are simply what is grown in the vat. Technically speaking, the “flavours” are of real meat, as the original cell that is cultivated came from an animal, however the muscle cells will not have much flavour alone. It is the fats within the meat and any seasoning added that gives meat a “meat” taste. If you wanted to add flavour to your meat, you could grow the fat cells separately and then mix these into the muscle cells. What you add to the lab-grown meat brings out flavour, such as spices and herbs.
What comes out of the vat, is simply a mushy paste of cells. Unsurprisingly, the first lab-grown meat products were chicken nuggets and burgers; products normally produced from processing meat.
Environmental Concerns
As lab-grown meat is a relatively new invention, scientists are not entirely sure of its environmental impact. It is unlikely that we’ll be able to fully predict the impact upon the environment yet, until mass-production of lab-grown meat occurs.
On a positive scale, lab-grown meat results in less land being used. This could in-turn mean that more land is returned to nature or could alternatively be used for construction of renewable energy sources. This could therefore counter increases in carbon dioxide emissions, providing a more environmentally friendly alternative.
On a more serious note, a study by the University of Oxford (according to BBC’s Science Focus), suggested that the energy required to produce lab-grown meat could in-fact release more greenhouse gases than traditional farming methods. For example, whilst methane emissions may have decreased, other greenhouse gas emissions might be significantly higher. This insightful research raises questions as to whether it would be environmentally feasible to switch to lab-grown meat, in favour of traditional meat. Whilst it is often the case that in the media these products are advertised as “eco-friendly”, the reality is often significantly different, with selective marketing often used.
Conclusion
To conclude, it’s likely that we’re set to see an increase in global consumption of lab-grown meat in the coming years. As the global quest to reduce meat consumption, for environmental and ethical reasons, proceeds, lab-grown meat seems like a convenient alternative. Thankfully, it is not too different from the real thing, with added health benefits! Despite this, there are still some key environmental challenges that need to be addressed before mass-production commences. Therefore, it appears that lab-grown meat is going to be a key product for our future.
Links to stats:
https://worldanimalfoundation.org/advocate/most-consumed-meat-in-the-world/
https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/animals-slaughtered-for-meat
Photos sourced from Freepik – attributions to pikisuperstar and macrovector