What is lab-grown meat and what did the U.S. recently approve?

Source: The post is based on the article “What is lab-grown meat and what did the U.S. recently approve?” published in The Hindu on 1st July 2023

What is the News?

Two California-based companies have received approval from the U.S. government for production and sale of Cell-cultivated chicken, also known as lab-grown meat.

What is Lab-grown meat?

Lab grown meat involves isolating the cells that make up this meat (the meat that we consume) and putting them in a setting where they have all the resources they need to grow and make more copies of themselves. 

These resources are typically nutrients, fats, carbohydrates, amino acids, the right temperature, etc.

The ‘setting’ in which this process takes place is often a bioreactor (also known as a ‘cultivator’), a sensor-fit device – like a container – that has been designed to support a particular biological environment. (Because of the techniques involved, producing meat in this way is also called cellular agriculture).

Once these cells have become sufficiently large in number they resemble a mass of minced meat.They are collected and then processed, with additives to improve their texture and/or appearance and are destined for various recipes.

What are the benefits of Lab-grown meat?

Less emissions: Lab-grown meat helps in reducing greenhouse gas emissions associated with livestock production.

– According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), livestock production contributes about 14.5% of global anthropogenic GHG emissions, mainly in the form of methane and nitrous oxides.

Less Land Use: Lab grown meat requires significantly less land compared to traditional meat production methods.

– A 2021 report estimated that lab-cultivated meat would use 63% less land in the case of chicken and 72% in the case of pork.

No killing of animals: Lab grown meat does not require an animal to be killed.

Food security: Lab cultured meat can help in a way to meet the world’s nutritional security needs.

Customization: Lab-grown meat can be customized to be healthier than their animal counterpart, such as being designed to contain less fat, thus contributing to public health.

What are the challenges of Lab-grown meat?

Consumer acceptance: Perfectly substituting animal meat with alternative meat requires the lab grown meat to match the animal meat taste, texture, and appearance and cost.

Cost: The cost of cell-cultivated meat is expected to remain high in the near future.

Resources: Researchers require high-quality cells, suitable growth mediums, and other resources to ensure the quality of the final product.

Environmental impact concerns: A recent study found that if cell cultivation requires a highly refined growth medium similar to that used in the pharmaceutical industry, then the environmental impact of cell-cultivated meat production is likely to be higher than beef production.