Our future source for meat will not be the animals

The cattle farm of tomorrow

What if we could enjoy the taste and nutritional benefits of meat without subjecting the animals from whom the meat comes to the suffering that we currently put them through? In vitro meat is an attempt to fulfill this ideal. Also known as synthetic meat, test-tube meat, and victimless meat; in vitro meat is an animal-flesh product that has never been part of an animal that has been alive.

Winston Churchill said in an article that was written in 1931, “We shall escape the absurdity of growing a whole chicken in order to eat the breast or wing, by growing these parts separately under a suitable medium.” Thus, the idea of in vitro meat has been around for a long time. Only recently have we actually developed the technology to try it.

The first lab grown burger was cooked and eaten in 2013 at a news conference in London. This was accomplished by taking stem cells from a cow and growing them into strips of muscle. It was tasted by two critics, one of whom stated: “There is really a bite to it, there is quite some flavour with the browning. I know there is no fat in it so I didn't really know how juicy it would be, but there is quite some intense taste; it's close to meat, it's not that juicy, but the consistency is perfect. This is meat to me... It's really something to bite on and I think the look is quite similar.”

There is, of course, a world of difference between lab tested and consumer ready. Some challenges exist before we will find this option at our local grocery stores. One challenge is the cost. In 2008 a piece of in vitro beef weighing only 250 grams cost about $1 million. The burger that was created in 2013 had about $275,000 in funding to develop it. The professor leading the team estimated that it would be about 10 years before it would be cost competitive to traditional beef.

Another challenge, which is related to cost, is scale. Producing this stuff in a large enough scale to be useful to consumers is going to have to be considered. How do we culture these cells in a way that provides a well-balanced mixture of ingredients and growth factors? One possible solution is using a plant-based medium to keep costs down. In that case allergenic factors might need to be considered.

In vitro meat would not only reduce the suffering of animals, there are possible benefits for those who eat it over traditional meat too. Artificial growth hormones may not be required for production of in vitro meat. Omega-3 fatty acid could be added to it as well. It would also be produced in a much more sterile environment leading to reduced exposure to things like pesticides and fungicides.

On the environmental front, an Oxford study found in vitro meat to be much more friendly and efficient. According to the study, cultured meat would generate up to 96% lower greenhouse gas emissions than traditionally produced meat. They also estimated that it would require 7-45% less energy to achieve equal volumes of pork, sheep, or beef. Another major benefit would be 99% lower land use.

As far as ethical and religious concerns, thoughts vary among interested individuals. Though many animal welfare organizations are tend to favor in vitro meat since it does not have a nervous system, some who enjoy a vegetarian diet argue that using fetal calf serum as a growth medium negates the ethical consideration. Those identifying as Jewish disagree on whether in vitro is kosher. Scholars of the Muslim population state that in vitro meat would be allowed by Islamic law if the original cells and growth medium were halal.

I personally have been on vegetarian and vegan diets in the past. Currently meat does not sit well with me from the standpoint of suffering that it causes, therefore I have not been eating it. I would eat this “test-tube meat” were it to be available to me inexpensively. I am going to keep an eye on the progression of in vitro meat and am a candidate to be an early adopter once it is ready for consumers.

What do you think? Would you rather eat traditionally grown meat or meat produced in vitro given a choice if the end product was almost indistinguishable? Comment to let me know.

Kirk Aug

Kirk cultivates the Idea Farm here at SeedSing. He is always on the look out for the next great sociological invention. If you have an interest in the future, make sure to follow Kirk on twitter @kirkaug.