Burger with lab-grown meat is ready to eat
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LONDON: The first laboratory-grown hamburger developed using bovine muscle stem cells would be unveiled in London
next week. Professor Mark Post of Maastricht University in Netherlands
has utilized existing technology for growing muscle cells and used 3,000
cell strands to create enough meat for a single hamburger.
Scientists say cultured beef will greatly reduced need for livestock and address the increasing global demand for food.
"The project could also be the answer that feeds the world, saves the environment and spares the lives of millions of animals. It will lead the way to environmentally friendly meat production, sustainable meat sources and cruelty-free meat production ,'' the scientists involved in the project said in a statement. It said meat and other staple foods are likely to become luxury items thanks to the increased demand for crops for meat production unless a sustainable alternative is found.
Post said current livestock meat production is not sustainable from an ecological point of view or in terms of volume. "Right now we are using more than 50% of all our agricultural land for livestock. It's simple maths. We have to come up with alternatives. If we don't do anything meat will become a luxury food and be very, very expensive."
Experts say cultured beef will allow scientists to eradicate human disease contracted from livestock and control the level of fat content of meat products. It would also be ecofriendly as keeping livestock for food produces 39% of all emitted methane and 5% of carbon dioxide.
Further, pigs and cows transform only 15% of vegetable proteins into edible animal proteins, but occupy more than 70% of all arable land. Currently to produce 1 kg of beef requires up to 15,000 litres of water, according to UN figures.
Scientists say cultured beef will greatly reduced need for livestock and address the increasing global demand for food.
"The project could also be the answer that feeds the world, saves the environment and spares the lives of millions of animals. It will lead the way to environmentally friendly meat production, sustainable meat sources and cruelty-free meat production ,'' the scientists involved in the project said in a statement. It said meat and other staple foods are likely to become luxury items thanks to the increased demand for crops for meat production unless a sustainable alternative is found.
Post said current livestock meat production is not sustainable from an ecological point of view or in terms of volume. "Right now we are using more than 50% of all our agricultural land for livestock. It's simple maths. We have to come up with alternatives. If we don't do anything meat will become a luxury food and be very, very expensive."
Experts say cultured beef will allow scientists to eradicate human disease contracted from livestock and control the level of fat content of meat products. It would also be ecofriendly as keeping livestock for food produces 39% of all emitted methane and 5% of carbon dioxide.
Further, pigs and cows transform only 15% of vegetable proteins into edible animal proteins, but occupy more than 70% of all arable land. Currently to produce 1 kg of beef requires up to 15,000 litres of water, according to UN figures.
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