Cultured meat, which is grown from real animal cells, will soon be available to diners at restaurants located in San Francisco and Washington, D.C.
Exciting news! It is now possible to enjoy a sandwich with lab chicken, at least if you live in the United States. The US Department of Agriculture recently granted its first approval for the production of cell-cultured meat by two companies: GOOD Meat and UPIDE Foods.
This marks a significant advance in the food industry and offers a sustainable and ethical alternative for consumers concerned about animal welfare and environmental impact. Both companies grow chicken cells in limited quantities, without having to kill the animals.
This final regulatory approval will allow these California-based companies to sell and service their products in the United States.
The recent approval of products from cultured meat companies is a major achievement for this innovative industry.
Less than a year after the Food and Drug Administration declared it safe for consumption, this milestone represents significant progress. While the advancement of lab-grown meat is exciting, we can’t expect to find these steaks in supermarkets overnight.
These companies are currently only authorized to sell chicken products in select restaurants. To trade cell-grown cattle, pork or seafood, an additional license will be required. This is because these products are considered novel foods and require rigorous evaluation to ensure their safety and quality before being introduced to the market.
Meat is a major part of the diet of approximately 90% of the American population. However, more and more people in the United States are concerned about the environmental impact of today’s meat industry, as it contributes an estimated 14.5% of global carbon emissions.
This concern is due to the effects of livestock on deforestation, excessive water consumption and generation of greenhouse gases. Large-scale livestock operations present significant risks. In addition to the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, they also generate large amounts of waste that can contaminate local waterways due to runoff of manure and nutrients.
GOOD Meat CEO Josh Tetrick notes that the animals often live short lives and in deplorable conditions, confined in cramped cages and surrounded by filth. According to him, the current way of producing meat is directly related to these problems and it is necessary to look for more ethical alternatives.
Is eating meat a habit?
Despite this, people are drawn to eating meat for a variety of reasons. Some of these reasons include cultural and traditional importance, as well as its nutritional value as a source of protein, in addition to its pleasant taste.
Cultured meat companies make it their primary goal to offer sustainable and cruelty-free products. The aim is to give meat lovers the opportunity to enjoy a delicious hamburger or fried chicken, but without a guilty conscience. “I put myself in that category,” says Amy Chen, director of operations for UPSIDE Foods. “We call ourselves ‘conflict carnivores’.”
The process of creating lab-grown chicken nuggets is fascinating.
It starts with obtaining stem cells from a fertilized chicken egg. Scientists study these samples to assess their strength, flavor and ability to divide and multiply, thus ensuring the quality of the final product. After conducting research, scientists have the ability to freeze the most promising cell lines for later use.
During the production phase, food scientists use a method in which the cells are submerged in a stainless steel vat. This tub contains a nourishing broth that provides cells with all the necessary ingredients for cell growth and division. This process is critical to ensure proper cell development during production.
After a few weeks, the cells begin to stick together and produce enough protein to be harvested. The scientists finally texture the meat by blending, heating or chopping (in the case of GOOD Meat, they use an extruder) and shape it into nuggets or chops.
“The production process in general is relatively simple”, says Vítor Santo, director of cellular agriculture at GOOD Meat. “The biggest challenge right now is definitely increasing manufacturing capacity,” he says.
UPSIDE Foods COO Amy Chen agrees. “Industrial agriculture is off to a good start,” she says. Thanks to USDA and FDA approval, both companies are allowed to move forward in developing the infrastructure needed to produce enough meat to distribute their products in the United States.
For now, the farmed chicken option will be restricted to some restaurants.
An example is Bar Crenn, a prestigious Michelin-starred restaurant located in San Francisco, which will offer UPSIDE Foods products. Furthermore, it is important to highlight that the renowned chef José Andrés, who is part of the board of directors of GOOD Meat, decided to include the chicken grown by this company in one of the restaurants he runs in Washington DC
Importantly, until cultured meat production is scaled up on a large scale, the suggested environmental benefits will remain unproven. “The assumption, and I say ‘assumption’ carefully, is that yes, you will have a more sustainable food production system,” says David Kaplan, a bioengineer at Tufts University.
Cultured meat production facilities are an alternative that promises to be more sustainable compared to traditional farming. This method requires significantly less land and water, helping to conserve these dwindling resources.
In addition, they emit less greenhouse gases directly, which is beneficial for mitigating climate change. However, it is important to note that there is still uncertainty about the total carbon footprint on a large scale when mass produced.
Plant-based protein companies like Impossible Foods have been working to deliver on the promise of sustainability without sacrificing taste for nearly a decade.
Although the aforementioned products have become popular and become part of fast food menus, they have not achieved the mass adoption that the industry had hoped. However, meat cultured from cells could be a solution to fill this gap. “Ultimately, we think people are more likely to switch if the product is actually meat,” explains Tetrick.
Cultured meat, a vegetarian alternative?
Cultured meat is a more environmentally sustainable alternative as it does not involve the slaughter of animals. However, whether vegetarians adopt this option will depend on their personal reasons for following a meatless diet.
Some vegetarians may be willing to include cultured meat in their diet because of its lower environmental impact, while others may be adamant about avoiding all animal meat. “We have a variety of views,” says Richard McIlwain, chief executive of the UK Vegetarian Society.
According to a survey, some vegetarians they are excited about the idea of lab-grown meat using cells. However, about half of them would rather avoid consuming it. Lab-grown meat is becoming more accepted by the general public. Nearly two-thirds of US citizens are willing to try this kind of innovative meat.
Kosher cultured meat?
When it comes to following a kosher or halal diet, people are often faced with some ambiguity. This year, Indonesian Islamic authorities concluded that cultured meat does not meet the requirements to be considered halal.
However, there are other Muslim leaders who are willing to consider granting halal certification if the cell lines used in the cultivation process are guaranteed to meet Islamic standards. An innovative Israeli company specializing in cell culture is currently in the process of gaining market approval for its meat, which is certified kosher.
When the products hit grocery store shelves, Chen says, “they’ll really have the branding and branding you expect on a piece of meat”: a small round label that certifies the USDA inspection. Additionally, it is important to note that the labels for these products will also include the term “cell grown” to clearly differentiate animal meat from conventional products.
no stamps
Likewise, it is important to mention that they will not have the official “vegetarian” stamp, as their production involves the use of animal cells in a controlled environment. The Vegetarian Society maintains that lab-grown meat cannot be considered vegetarian or vegan because it is derived from animal cells.
In his view, the objective of vegetarianism and veganism is to avoid any type of animal exploitation, even in food production. Therefore, they consider that laboratory-produced meat does not meet these ethical principles and does not qualify as a valid option for vegetarians or vegans.
However, the organization will consider creating a new label to certify it as “cruelty-free” or “death-free,” says McIlwain.
“I think you’re going to need your own judgment,” he adds. “But we’re very excited about (cell-grown meat) from a societal perspective.”
With information from scientificamerican.com