Dear MEL Topic Readers,
How close are we to a hamburger grown in a lab?
Farm-raised salmon is quite popular now. It seems to have taken place for wild Alaskan or North Atlantic salmon in most places. Some argue that those naturally-grown salmon tastes better, but more and more people enjoy the almost identical taste of farm-raised salmon as it becomes widely available at an affordable price. After all, both are still salmon.
What about cultured meat? It is also called in vitro meat or clean meat. It is meat grown in cells in vitro instead of inside animals. First, stem cells are extracted from the animal. Then, they are grown and multiplied in a lab to create meat. It is basically the same technology as the one used in the medical field to repair organs. During the process, healthy fat like Omega-3 fatty acid can be added to make the meat tastier and healthier. It takes significantly less energy, water, land and emits much less greenhouse gas. Sounds ideal for the world whose population is expected to increase by 30% in the next few decades, doesn’t it?
The first cultured beef burger patty was shown and eaten in public in 2013. Now, it is time for consumers to taste clean meat. Some meat producers are eyeing to market clean meat as early as this year. In a few years’ time, it may be part of the standard menu in space or on Mars. Also, it may not be too long before cultured meat becomes the majority of meat consumption on our planet.
Enjoy reading and thinking what the determining factor is for you to choose either pasture-raised or lab-raised meat, the price, taste, look or health benefits.
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