Cell-Based, Lab-Grown Meat Has Been Approved To Be Sold In The U.S. Here’s What That Means.
Lab-grown meat has been cleared for sale in the United States, but what does that mean?
It is kind of just what it sounds like. Lab-grown meat skips the slaughter of animals, and is grown from cells in a lab — or cultivated, as they call it.
According to CNN, “cultivated or lab-grown meat is grown in a giant vat, much like what you’d find at a beer brewery.”
Um. That doesn’t sound too appetizing to me. It sounds pretty processed. But, what do I know?
While there are two companies — Upside Foods and Good Meat — that are approved to start manufacturing this meat, is it going to be awhile before this cell-based meat product is going to be available in stores.
What Is Cell-Based, Lab-Grown Meat?
Basically, this cell-grown meat product is grown from animal cells and nutrients like amino acids. They let it incubate and grow in these huge bioreactors.
It legit looks like a setup you’d see in a brewery.
When the protein is ready, it is taken out and moved along a processing line.
After it’s pulled from the bioreactors, it is said to look a lot like minced chicken.
I don’t know about you, but I’m picturing something like how McDonald’s squishes all the chicken meat together to make Chicken McNuggets.
So gross, IMHO. But hey, it saves the slaughter of animals, so I can see how some people would like it.
What Are The Benefits Of Cell-Based, Lab-Grown Mean?
Well, first and foremost, no animals have to be harmed in the making of the meat.
The meat is grown from the cells of a fertilized chicken egg. These cells can be stored and used for up to 10 years.
In our current process for our chicken filet, the fertilized chicken egg is no longer viable after we obtain the cells. These cells are stored in our cell bank and can be used for at least 10 years. This means that by building a robust cell bank, we won’t need to obtain more cells to keep producing our meat.
UPSIDE Foods
There are also some environmental benefits of using cell-grown, cultivated meat.
One study, for instance, finds that, at scale, cultivated meat may require up to 90% less land and water and emit up to 90% fewer greenhouse gasses. While it’s too early to know the precise environmental footprint of cell-cultured meat, we expect it to provide significant benefits to the planet.
UPSIDE Foods
There is also the benefit that, if this cell-based meat is produced in large quantities, it could ease the world’s hunger problem.
Of course, that is looking into the future, and wouldn’t be an immediate benefit.
Is Cell-Based, Lab-Grown Meat Vegetarian?
No. It would not be considered vegetarian.
Vegetarian “meats” are plant-based, and this lab-grown meat is made from the cells of chickens.
So, if you are like me, and don’t eat anything with a face, this meat probably won’t be appetizing for you.
When Will This Cell-Based, Lab-Grown Meat Be Available?
It will be coming to restaurants before it will be available to purchase in grocery stores.
Right now, there are plans to bring this cell-based, lab-grown meat to restaurants in Washington D.C. and San Francisco. Although, we don’t have a date for sale as of yet.
The meat has to be produced first– which started immediately upon approval from the USDA. Then it has to be cultivated and processed.
How Much Will This Cell-Based, Lab-Grown Meat Cost To Purchase?
We really don’t know yet.
Right now, they are planning on selling this cultivated meat in restaurants at a slight premium over regular chicken.
To be clear, our company is not making money on these sales, we’re taking a loss — At this stage … we want to get it out there. We want people to taste it, we want people to experience it, we want people to tell their friends and family about it.
Andrew Noyes, head of global communications and public affairs at Good Meat
According to CNN, both Good Meat and Upside Foods want the cultivated chicken to retail at about the same price as you would find chicken in the grocery stores.
I guess only time will tell. Will you be trying this cell-based, lab-grown chicken?
