Many people bet that lab-grown meat is part of the future of food, and scientists now want to find out why.

A report from The Verge specified that lab-grown meat appears to be everywhere nowadays. In 2021, cultured meat and seafood firms raised more than $1.3 billion in investment, not to mention that more and more startups have come out to develop their products.

Essentially, the creation of cell-based meat begins with a biopsy from an animal. From there, the cells are cultured in a laboratory and provided with the right nutrients to develop and multiply.

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Lab-Grown Meat
(Photo: ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images)
Lab-grown meat from the US is presented in the Disgusting Food Museum in Los Angeles, California.

Questions Raised on Lab-Grown Meat

Once there are adequate cells, the batch gets transferred into a bioreactor, where the cells continue to multiply until there are enough cells to "seek the teeth into."

Essentially, such a process is taking a lot of time and resources; as indicated in a Good Food Institute report, no company at present has reached cost-efficient commercial production.

Boosting this enterprise will necessitate a lot more infrastructure. This means bigger vats, more space, and more utilities, raising more questions about cost.

In addition, it is too soon to determine what shape and industry will take. Meanwhile, consumers have the opportunity to consider what association they want to have with their food.

Nearly ten years back, Cor Van der Weele, a Dutch researcher, explained the question to a focus group in the Netherlands.

The research team showed you a thought experiment known as the "pig in the backyard," in which a single pig could feed a whole neighborhood for several years.

Cultivated Meat Explained

In a separate Good Food Institute report, cultivated meat is described as "also known as cultured meat," genuine animal meat, which includes seafood and organ meats, produced through direct cultivation of animal cells.

Such a production process eliminates raising the farm and animals for food. Moreover, cultivated meat is made of the same types of cells arranged in the same or similar structure as animal tissues, duplicating the conventional meat's sensory and nutritional profiles.

Mark Post, a Dutch scientist, revealed the first cultivated meat burger in 2013 on live television. Two years after, the first four cultivated meat firms were formed.

The lab-grown meat industry has grown to over 60 companies on six continents, supported by more than $450 million in investments, each to produce cultivated meat products. More and more companies have formed to develop technology solutions along the value chain.

Nutrition Benefits

A Science Focus report specified that according to an UPSIDE Foods spokesperson, the nutrient profile would be similar, yet it will be possible as well, to enhance or even personalize it.

The spokesperson also said they are exploring techniques to improve lab-grown meat's nutrient profiles. He also said that it's less saturated fat and cholesterol or more healthy fats or vitamins.

For example, one could produce a steak through salmon's fatty acid profile. As only a few cultivated meat products on the market need food labeling, businesses will need to wait to get a better insight into the nutritional value.

Related information about the future of lab-grown meat is shown on Undecided with Matt Ferrell's YouTube video below:

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