Less use of water. Less use of land. Fewer chickens on the butcher’s bench. All this promises the American company Upside Foods that they can achieve with meat that is produced in steel tanks. And now the FDA, “after careful consideration” has concluded that it is safe for humans to eat. – This has been science fiction for a number of years, so it is a milestone, says molecular biologist Sigrid Bratlie. Do you want to eat meat that has been grown in the laboratory? Mmm, sure! Never in my life! Maybe, if Espen Nakstad says it’s safe Show result Meat on tank Lab-produced meat is made from cells from animals. The aim is for it to resemble regular meat in taste and consistency. First, stem cells are extracted from the animal, such as chicken in the case of Upside. Stem cells are “sleeping”, ready to grow. They are then placed in steel tanks. There, the cells receive nourishment that enables them to start dividing into muscle and fat cells. Once they have grown into what resembles meat, they can be harvested and used in meat products. The stem cell technology behind it is used for many things, says Bratlie. Photo: Sturlason – Cells can be reprogrammed to do different things. For example medical. New tissue can be grown for those who need it. Sustainable food Sissel Rønning works as a researcher at Nofima in Ås. Their goal is to make sustainable food for everyone. Among other things, Rønning is trying to grow meat from muscle cells taken from cows in the laboratory. – The potential is greatest when it comes to cattle, climate-wise. After all, half of the cow is not used for food, she says. Photo: Joe Urrutia / Nofima At the same time, she explains that it can be easier to grow lab meat from chicken. – The reason is that when you get cells from living animals, you retain characteristics from that animal. So the cells of fast-growing chicken breeds can grow faster in the paw than the cells from the cow. Photo: Ihne Pedersen / Dyrevernalliansen In addition, there is a discussion in the environment about what “food” to give the cells. Some swear by only feeding their cells from plants. But at Nofima, they work on using leftovers from regular meat production to make more use of the animal. Money and climate Much of the research in this area takes place in private companies with large investors. It also means that there is a lot of secrecy, and that it is difficult to say whether lab meat will end up in the fridge at Rema or Kiwi in the first place. – It may well be that this is closer than I know, because there has been little transparency about how far we have come, says Rønning. Sigrid Bratlie believes that if we get lab meat in the store, it could be a good thing for the environment. Because people are eating more meat all over the world. – Even though everyone knows that we should eat less meat and more plants, there is no indication that this will happen. First of all, you may feel better about the fact that fewer animals have to die in order for you to be satisfied. And maybe it can be better for the climate. Because lab meat doesn’t fart methane. A table for two? There has been work on making meat in the laboratory for many years. Already in 2013, researchers held a press conference where they tasted a lab burger. But it had taken them three years, and around NOK 3 million, to achieve. There are still a number of challenges with the technology. Among other things, it is very expensive. Therefore, Upside Foods plans to first start by selling this to fancy restaurants. – The next phase for us and the industry is to demonstrate that we are able to scale this up, says Uma Valeti in the company to Wired. It will take maybe five to fifteen years. He together resembles what they are doing now, with those who started making electric cars. Sigrid Bratlie agrees: – It will probably start as a luxury product, but that’s how it is with almost all new technology. Then the price will gradually decrease. But now they have started building an industrial plant in the Netherlands, so something is going on. Regardless. Before the chicken meat of Upside Foods arrives in a luxury restaurant in New York or Austin, the company must go through other approval processes in the United States, writes Wired. PS. If you are impatient to test this, you can travel to Singapore, where lab meat was approved in 2019.
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American authorities believe lab-produced chicken is safe to eat – news Trøndelag
