A variety of lab-grown meats!
Introduction
Soon your meat will come from a petri dish! That’s right! The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) approved the sale of lab-grown meat in June of 2023. Of course, it will embrace an impressive name such as “cultivated” meat. Currently, the approval is to grow directly from the cells of chickens.
It’s already available in select restaurants in California and Washington, D.C. You’ll be able to purchase this in your local grocery store soon.
For now, it’s chicken that’s being lab-grown. Future approvals for beef, pork, and seafood will need to be obtained before cultivating and marketing.
This is not the same as plant-based meat like Beyond Burger and Impossible Foods. Plant-based meats might be low in saturated fat but they’re high in seed oils which I reviewed in my last blog, Are Seed Oils A Scam? It has yet to be determined the fat content in lab-grown meat.
In this blog, I review the pros and cons of this new way of producing meat, how it’s made, the nutritional value, and safety—then you can decide if it sounds appealing enough for you to eat.
How is lab-grown meat made?
To keep it simple, it starts with a cell that comes from a living animal, a fertilized chicken egg, or stored cells. Then it’s blended with a broth of nutrients, so the cells grow and divide in a steel tank. This process requires a controversial gene-editing technology to promote cell growth with a molecular tool called CRISPR. And finally, it’s shaped into any “chicken” product like nuggets or patties. This debated gene technology involves genetically modifying the cells. More on bioengineered food.
Pros and cons of lab-grown meat, simply stated:
Pros
Livestock doesn’t need to be raised, killed and slaughtered.
Land to raise livestock can be utilized for other purposes.
Real meat is created differently, so say the experts. (The definition of real meat needs to be clarified.)
Free from growth hormones.
Cons
During the process of growing the meat, there could be contamination.
Possible allergies.
Energy-demanding – not favorable for the environment and expensive.
Currently, no regulation of who and how the safety of the products will be monitored.
What is the difference between plant-based and lab-grown meat?
Plant-based meats are made without the use of animal products. Formulated with soy, wheat, and peas. Usually, high in protein and an alternative to traditional meat products. It kind of tastes like meat.
Cultured meat, also called lab-grown meat, is made from the cells of animals in a laboratory setting. Once the cells go through the process of becoming large enough, they’re shaped into a traditional meat product.
Pro tip: Cultured meat is not vegan “approved” as it comes from the tissue of an animal. That said, if a vegan ditched eating meat because of cruelty practices, then this may open even more controversial topics in the future.
The Real MEAT Act of 2019
The Federal “Real Marketing Edible Artificials Truthfully Act of 2019” also called the “Real MEAT Act of 2019” is proposing all food products that represent beef that doesn’t come ENTIRELY from cows, be labeled as “imitation” on the packaging. This bill still sits in the current congressional term.
Product of USA label claim
This new proposed requirement from the USDA for the label claim of “Product of USA” will allow a label claim for meat, poultry, and egg products only when originated from animals born, raised, slaughtered, and processed in the U.S. Keep in mind, this is voluntary.
Currently, there is consumer confusion around the current labeling law regarding “Made in the USA” or “Product of the USA” for all meat. Products labeled “Made in the USA” are not meeting the new proposed rule. In other words, a cow could be raised in another country and be shipped to the US for slaughter and packaged with a label stamped, “Made or Produced in the USA.”
Pro tip: If products are not properly labeled, a customer may buy imitation meat unknowingly.
Is lab-grown meat safe to eat?
In 2022, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gave its approval to cultivate chicken and deemed it safe for human consumption. When a food is deemed safe for human consumption, it’s non-poisonous, not a food or color additive, and meets the function intended for that food. This doesn’t scream highly healthy nutritious food.
As with any new product, it’s too early to know how safe it is, and the health consequences are unknown. Currently, no nutritional profiles have been determined for iron, zinc, and B12 levels.
Not approved in Europe
Presently, no organization or company has applied for the approval of lab-grown meat in Europe. If and when it does, it could take years for the green light.
Companies approved to sell lab-grown meat
There are two companies who have been granted approval for federal inspections required to sell meat and poultry in the U.S. These companies are UPSIDE Foods and GOOD Meat. Both will cultivate chicken grown from the cells.
It appears there is a heavy interest in lab-grown meat; make no mistake, it is part of the U.S. food system. Other companies aiming for cultivated meat and seafood are listed here.
Read your labels!
Once this new-age chicken is sold in grocery stores, it will carry a label stating it’s USDA inspected. It will also be labeled as, “cell-cultured” so you know which type of chicken you’re buying.
Conclusion
There are many unanswered questions about lab-grown meat and how well it will be accepted by the public in the future.
With the rise of plant-based meat alternatives, lab-grown meat may be an alternative to “real” meat.
As far as the health benefits, that has yet to be determined. For now, it’s a matter of how well you accept and adapt to this new technique of meat.
But after all, doesn’t every “odd” piece of meat taste like chicken? 😊 Which do you prefer?
In optimal health,
Lisa