Cellular agriculture (also known as “cultured meat” or “lab grown meat”) is an emerging field that involves growing animal cells in a laboratory environment. In 2013, Dr. Mark Post of Maastricht University in the Netherlands presented the world’s first lab-grown hamburger.
Since then, there has been a growing interest in the potential of cellular agriculture to provide new sources of protein and reduce environmental impacts associated with traditional meat production. Cultured or lab-grown meat is real meat made from the cells of real animals.
The process begins with scientists taking a sample of cells from animals, such as cows, chickens or fish. The cells are then placed into a culture medium which provides the right environment for them to grow. As the cells begin to divide and grow, they form small “nuggets” of meat that can then be harvested and processed into food products. Since the cells are grown without antibiotics or hormones, they are considered safer for human consumption than traditional farmed meats.
The technology for lab-created meat has been around since 2013, but only recently have countries begun taking steps to approve it for human consumption. So far, Singapore and the US are the first countries to allow “cell-cultivated chicken” to be sold to consumers.
The European Union is currently working on legislation to allow it, and the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia are also reportedly considering regulations.
Supporters of this technology say that lab-created meat is more sustainable than traditional methods of farming animals. It requires less land, water, and energy than traditional animal farming. It is more humane for animals, since no actual livestock have to be slaughtered for consumption. And it is much more consistent in quality and composition than regular meat. Since it’s grown in a laboratory, all of the cells used to create the meat are identical.
Diseases such as Mad Cow, Avian Flu and Swine Flu may be eliminated with the introduction of lab-made meat. This is because growing animal cells in a laboratory environment eliminates the risk of cross-contamination from other animals or their environments.
Opponents of lab-created meat argue that it is not a sustainable option due to its reliance on expensive equipment and energy sources such as electricity for production. Additionally, they argue that it could lead to a greater sense of disconnection between humans and their food sources and have ethical implications for animal welfare because of its reliance on animal cells.
Stem cells are collected by obtaining a tissue sample from a living animal, which raises questions about the ethics of using animals in this process.
Cellular agriculture is an emerging field of science that has the potential to transform how we produce meat. If it can help to reduce the negative effects of factory farming and produce healthier food products for people, then it could have a tremendous impact on our planet. It remains to be seen how this technology will develop over the next few years, but one thing is certain: lab-created meat looks to have a big role in the future of food.
Let us know your thoughts. Are you eager to try lab grown chicken nuggets?