Technologies have grown at a rapid rate in several areas over the last forty years. The internet has connected the world, people are living longer, and your smartphone is stronger than the computer that put men on the moon. It is no surprise that with such advancements in overall living, your diet may also see new and exciting discoveries. Companies such as Aleph Farms are taking meat into the laboratory and changing how it is produced on a fundamental level. Lab-grown meat is not a meat replacement or a meat substituent such as many of the popular options currently for sale at your local grocery store. It is meat grown from the cells of animals such as cows.
While vegetarian or plant-based alternatives are certainly a good thing, not everyone wants to remove meat from their diet. You may want to continue to enjoy meat but have questions about its environmental impact, health concerns, and overall sustainability. Lab-grown meat is a fascinating alternative because it is real meat grown from animal cells but it is created in a lab and not through traditional farming methods.
Lab-Grown Meat
Lab-grown meat has been in development for many years with ideas dating and patents dating back to the 1940s. Further study led to the first lab-grown hamburger being created in 2013 in the Netherlands. As technology has improved, discussion about lab-grown meat as a possible addition to the overall human diet has become more widespread. Lab-grown meat is created by taking muscle cells from an animal and cultivating cell growth in a highly controlled environment. These cells are next shaped and further processed into recognizable meat products such as steaks or hamburgers.
Four Advantages of Lab-Grown Meat
While a new science lab-grown meat offers many possibilities as it becomes more developed as a science and widespread as a product.
- Lower Odds For Contamination: traditional meat runs the risk of exposure to various food born ailments. One of the most well-known of these potential illnesses is those caused by E. coli bacteria. Lab-grown meat due to being created in a highly controlled environment has far lower odds of becoming contaminated by outside bacteria.
- Lower Levels of Antibiotics: cows grown for food are typically treated with various antibiotics. While not outright harmful, prolonged exposure to antibiotics in the food you eat can cause you to become more resistant to antibiotics reducing effectiveness.
- Faster Production: the production speed of lab-grown meat continues to improve as technology improves. Lab-grown meat can currently be produced in a few months, which is far faster than the time needed to raise livestock. This time is also likely to improve as the industry grows.
- Environmental Benefits: another advantage of lab-grown meat is that it uses lower amounts of land and water than traditional livestock farming. Also, with the growth of more sustainable energy sources, there is a chance that lab-grown meat companies may also make use of this cleaner energy in their daily operations.
Final Thoughts
Lab-grown meat is interesting in both its development and its uses as a food source. If you are someone who is always willing to try new foods and are looking for a new way to enjoy foods you like, lab-grown meat could be for you.
