In Vitro Meat: Pros And Cons Of The Laboratory Product

It may sound unappetizing, but for some, in vitro meat is the solution to many of the problems of our time. You can read here how the food from the laboratory is produced and what significance it could have today and in the future.

In vitro meat: production and use

It sounds tempting: when you replace the meat with in vitro meat in a recipe like our Ground Beef Noodle Casserole, no animal has had to die directly, no resources have been used to raise it, no harm has been done to the environment, and the meat is fake free from undesirable substances such as antibiotics or gene feed. All that is required for the laboratory product are cell cultures. For this purpose, stem cells are taken from an animal, which grow into muscle meat in a nutrient solution. Calf serum is often used as “feed” for the in-vitro meat – the young animal and its mother die as a result. The result of the biotechnological breeding procedure is a high-quality food: Clean Meat.

Downsides of artificial meat production

One of the biggest disadvantages is the cost of in vitro meat – currently it is still significantly more expensive than the conventional product. Also, large-scale industrial production would consume a lot of energy. Exactly how much is still unclear, but the end product would not be cheap as a result. The taste and consistency of the artificial meat also leave a lot to be desired. If, for example, fat is missing as a flavor carrier, there are clear cuts. The structure of a steak is also difficult to reproduce. Many start-ups are therefore concentrating on the development of in-vitro minced meat as the first market-ready product. For these reasons, it will still be a few years before the in vitro burger or pide with minced meat from the laboratory is widely available.

Plant-based diet as a better alternative to artificial meat?

Another discussion about the artificial product is sparked off by the fundamental question of whether meat should generally be part of a healthy diet. After all, meat from the petri dish also contains animal fats and cholesterol, which in large quantities can increase the risk of heart attacks and other diseases. Critics object, why rely on artificial meat when healthier plant-based alternatives have been around for a long time. Even today, for example, a vegan moussaka tastes wonderful – if research focuses on the development of healthy plant-based meat alternatives that also contain nutrients such as vitamin B12 and iron, a plant-based diet is good for people and for the environment.