Lab-grown meat: the science of turning cells into steaks and nuggets

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🗞️ Driving the news: The emergence of lab-grown meat, also known as cultured meat, is gaining traction in the food industry
• Companies such as UPSIDE Foods and GOOD Meat have received regulatory approval to sell their cultivated meat (produced by growing animal cells in bioreactors), with expectations of a restaurant in Alameda (California) offering the product this year

🔭 The context: Lab-grown meat research has been ongoing for over a decade, but commercialization efforts have intensified recently
• Over 150 companies worldwide are working on cultured meat, including various types of meat, milk, and leather products
• The growth of this industry is driven by concerns on land use, greenhouse gas emissions, animal welfare, and the projected increase in global meat demand

🌎 Why does it matter for the planet: Cultured meat offers a potential solution by reducing the need for land and resources while minimizing the negative environmental impact associated with animal agriculture
• It takes 1,847 gallons of water to produce 1 pound of beef 
• However, there are some concerns on the health implications of red meats, regardless if cultured or traditional

⏭️ What’s next: Ongoing research and development efforts are focused on improving cell culture techniques, optimizing production processes, and reducing costs
• The availability and affordability of cultured meat will be crucial in determining its acceptance and impact on global meat consumption patterns

💬 One quote: “It’s very unlikely that this will be much healthier, if healthier at all” (Marco Springmann, Food-Systems Researcher) 

📈 One Stat: According to an industry report, all-time investment in cultured meat has reached $2.78 billion

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