benefits of lab grown meat

small tissues of lab grown meat, photo: Francois Lenoir/Reuters

When I first read this news on Science news, I was like "wow".

Mutton without killing goat, beef without killing cow. New research has shown that there is a possibility of producing meat in lab.

Scientists have claimed that they have produced meat in lab and have made burger out of it. Producing meat in lab without killing animals would revolutionize our food production system and would have great impacts on other sectors too. It has been considered as the biggest agricultural revolution after domestication of animals started about 11000 years ago.

Stem cell researcher, Mark Post, has grown meat from bovine stem cells and made a patty for burger. He spent about four hundred thousand dollar for this research.

It is not clear till now about the taste of such burger and how public will take the artificially grown meat. I am sure that it will take some time to adopt. However, one thing is sure: it will take long time to see lab grown meat on market for public.

Some points:

• millions of tons of meat can be grown from stem cells of single animal.
• a couple of animals could feed the entire world.
• we won't have to make animals suffer for our food.
• need only ~50% energy to produce.
• 98% less land.
• 90% less greenhouse gas production.