Originally published November 5 2015
Scientists feverishly working to develop artificial meat as biotech industry's next big product
by Jennifer Lea Reynolds
(NaturalNews) At a time when society is truly waking up to the harms of artificial foods and iffy food manufacturing techniques and embracing a healthier lifestyle as a result, the biotech industry has its eye on creating artificial meat. It sounds backwards, but it's true: the industry is developing pseudo foods, making them sound like viable options that people should flock to in the near future.
Professor Mark Post of Maastricht University in the Netherlands is the man responsible for creating a lab-grown hamburger using stem cells from cows. In a video housed on BBC.com, he takes viewers through a brief tour of the lab where such substances are created, showing an elaborate shelving system where billions of cow stem cells are housed while explaining that such a process is an "inevitable" way of life.
In that same video, he explains that small muscle tissues are created from the cow's stem cells. These muscle tissues are ultimately assembled together, piece by small piece, to create an entire hamburger.
Mmmm... nothing quite gets the salivary glands flowing than thought of chomping into a lab-created hamburger made inside a sterile lab environment by gloved humans.
Professor: lab-grown burgers not a crazy idea, "inevitable" for world's future
"People might think this is a sort of crazy way to produce meat," Post says in the video, "but it's inevitable because the way we produce meat right now through livestock is not sustainable, it's not good for the environment, it's not good for animals and we actually are not going to produce enough to meet the world's demands. So this is one of the alternatives..."
"I am confident that we will have it on the market in five years," he said. He explained its appearance in supermarkets is heavily contingent on increases in its demand and more affordable pricing; after all, a prototype of the burger made and cooked in London two years ago cost approximately $332,000 (£215,000). Furthermore, its taste is in need of improvement, which is something that the researchers are also working on. During the prototype tasting, some food experts noted that it was "close to meat, but not that juicy," although another individual said it tasted real.
While the research team's efforts are interesting and certainly show an attempt to address sustainability issues, why not take action now by engaging in efforts that can have an immediate impact? It certainly beats waiting for an option that's not really desirable anyway and might not make its way to store shelves until five long years from now.
How to eat healthy and engage in sustainability efforts without relying on Franken-burgers
For example, why not consider going meatless altogether or gradually weaning yourself from such a way of eating? That will resolve the greenhouse gas emissions, animal treatment and land use issues Post refers to without the need for any pricey burgers-from-a-tube lab creations. In fact, many social media initiatives exist to help others refrain from eating meat while providing tasty recipe substitutions; Twitter's #MeatlessMonday is one such option worth exploring for meatless ideas and other tips. Of course, the NaturalNews site is filled with meatless alternatives, including this easy and tasty taco recipe.
Even better, ordering Mike Adams' Food Rising Mini-Farm Grow Boxes is an excellent idea because they not only bring fresh foods to your table, but they help you do your part in sustainability efforts. Adams explains that the boxes actually grow food without the use of electricity, help people become self-reliant and provide them with healthy fruit and vegetable choices. It sure sounds better than sinking your teeth into a Franken-burger, right? Read more about these ingenious boxes on FoodRising.org.
Sources for this article include:
BBC.com
NaturalNews.com
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