The price of in vitro meat at retail outlets like grocery stores and supermarkets may decrease prices to levels that middle-class consumers consider to be “ inexpensive ” due to technological advancements .
Research Challenges The science for in vitro meat is an outgrowth of the field of biotechnology known as tissue engineering . The technology is simultaneously being developed along with other uses for tissue engineering such as helping those with muscular dystrophy and , similarly , growing transplant organs . There are several obstacles to overcome if it has any chance of succeeding ; at the moment , the most notable ones are scale and cost .
Proliferation of muscle cells : Although it is not very difficult to make stem cells divide , for meat production it is necessary that they divide at a quick pace , producing the solid meat . This requirement has some overlap with the medical branch of tissue engineering .
Culture medium : Proliferating cells need a food source to grow and develop . The growth medium should be a well-balanced mixture of ingredients and growth factors . Scientists have already identified possible growth media for turkey , fish , sheep and pig muscle cells . Depending on the motives of the researchers , the growth medium has additional requirements .
Commercial : The growth medium should be inexpensive to produce . A plant-based medium may be less expensive than foetal bovine serum .
Animal welfare : The growth medium should be devoid of animal sources ( except for the initial “ mining ” of the original stem cells ).
Non-Allergenic : While plant-based growthmedia are “ more realistic ,” will be cheaper , and reduce possibility of infectious agents , there is also the possibility that plant-based growth media may cause allergic reactions to some consumers .
Bioreactors : Nutrients and oxygen need to be delivered close to each growing cell , on the scale of millimetres . In animals this job is handled by blood vessels . A bioreactor should emulate this function in an efficient manner . The usual approach is to create a sponge-like matrix in which the cells can grow and perfuse it with the growth medium .
AgriKultuur | AgriCulture
DIFFERENCES FROM CONVENTIONAL MEAT
Health Large scale production of in vitro meat may or may not require artificial growth hormones to be added to the culture for meat production .
Researchers have suggested that omega-3 fatty acids could be added to in vitro meat as a health bonus . In a similar way , the omega-3 fatty acid content of conventional meat can also be increased by altering what the animals are fed . Due to the strictly controlled and predictable environments of both in vitro meat farming and vertical farming , it is predicted that there will be reduced exposure to dangerous chemicals like pesticides and fungicides , severe injuries , and wildlife .
Artificiality Although in vitro meat consists of natural meat cells , consumers may find such a high-tech approach to food production distasteful . If in vitro meat turns out to be different in appearance , taste , smell , texture , or other factors , it may not be commercially competitive with conventionally produced meat . The lack of fat and bone may also be a disadvantage , for these parts make appreciable culinary contributions .
Environmental
Research has shown that environmental impacts of cultured meat are significantly lower than normally slaughtered beef . For every hectare that is used for vertical farming and / or in vitro meat manufacturing , anywhere between 10 and 20 hectares of land may be converted from conventional agriculture usage back into its natural state .
A study by researchers at Oxford and the University of Amsterdam found that in vitro meat was “ potentially ... much more efficient and environmentally-friendly ”, generating only 4 % greenhouse gas emissions , reducing the energy needs of meat generation by up to 45 %, and requiring only 2 % of the land that the global meat / livestock industry does . The patent holder Willem van Eelen , and academics and journalists alike , all believe it has less environmental impact . This contrasts with cattle farming , “ responsible for 18 % of greenhouse gases ” and causing more damage to the environment than the combined effects of the world ’ s transportation system . In vitro meat facilities will cause very little harm to the species of wildlife that live around the facilities .
The role of genetic modification Techniques of genetic engineering , such
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