One of these new technologies – or perhaps a hybrid system – could help save the planet.
In a recent episode of the hit subscription-only podcast Absolutely Mental, UK comedian Ricky Gervais and author, philosopher, and neuroscientist Sam Harris discuss the ethics and attraction of “lab meat,” known officially as cultured meat.
Neither Gervais nor Harris has any moral concerns over this “no-kill” substitute for animal flesh proteins, but Gervais – as a vegan – does express reservations over the appearance of meat grown in a lab. For him, the sight of a slab of meat is now inexorably intertwined with death and suffering. Harris keeps his opinions vague, but the best-selling American author of The End of Faith (2004), an ex-vegetarian who went back to meat-eating after six years, has more than once acknowledged his strongly conflicted feelings about the taking of animal life for human food. In a 2015 Sam Harris podcast episode, the host agrees with psychologist Paul Bloom that they “are participating in a system that is on some basic level indefensible.”
So why does Harris continue to eat meat? -Nutrition and taste. Harris, however, added that “the moment that we had a real substitute for [meat], the moment we had synthetic meat, I think we would have an ethical obligation to do that.” We are now at the threshold of two major developments that could make such a substitute a reality: cultured meat and 3D-printed “alternative meat.”
Cultured meat is perhaps better-known. Memphis Meats and Eat Just, both Silicon Valley-based cultured meat companies, are reportedly eyeing 2022 as a broader launch date for releasing meat products grown in bioreactors. The latter firm passed a safety review by Singaporean regulatory authorities in late 2020, paving the way for tissue-engineered chicken to enter store shelves and restaurants in that City-State. Despite the impressive technology and the positive headlines, such in-vitro meat substitutes are still a long way from becoming common or cost-efficient. Looking forward a decade or so, it’s not inconceivable that lab-grown meat could offer a viable replacement option for animal protein, but it’s far from probable. The technology for cultured meat will have to progress at a much more rapid pace than at present if it wants to stay ahead of competing technologies hoping to take on the cattle, pork, and poultry industries.
Plant-based meat substitutes have gone from bean-based “veggie burgers” to offerings from firms such as Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods have gone from bean-based “veggie burgers” to offerings from firms that seek to emulate the taste and nutritional benefits of meat with 100 percent plant-based ingredients. Products from both companies and their competitors are slowly catching on, with even major fast-food chains beginning to offer burgers and other menu items made with high-tech plant-based meat substitutes. But there are problems with both cultured meat and plant-based substitutes. Genetically engineered meat can be made fat-free, for example, but it struggles with some consumers who see it as too “engineered;” a kind of “Frankenmeat.” On the plant-based side, there are issues of taste and texture. While scoring high with some, others decry a lack of “meatiness,” and for these people, unless the substitute looks, tastes, and ‘feels’ almost identical to the original – it’s a deal-breaker.
Stepping into the fray is a newer idea: 3D-printed meat. Called “alternative meat” by creators such as the Israeli start-up Redefine Meat, so-called “alt-meat” uses plant-based ingredients, but they’re not trying to make a “really good veggie burger.” The company brought in butchers, top chefs, and other food tasters for consultations along each step of the process. Taste tests in Israel report a 90 percent rating for the 3D printed meat’s “meatiness.” Via the magic of 3D printing, layers of “alt-muscle” and “alt-fat” are stacked into a slice of faux meat that’s quite unlike even the better plant-based options currently available – it even “sizzles” properly on a grill. If the key to owning the future is tasting as close to the “real thing” as possible, 3D-printed meat might be a real contender. The idea of “printing” meat takes the progress made by Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods and adds – layer by layer – an even more ‘authentic’ experience.
Plant-based 3D meat might fill a gap between “grown” meat and vegan meat substitutes; at least until the former becomes a lot more cost-effective – which may take a while. Either way, there’s a strong case to be made for moving away from the current model as soon as possible – and it boils down to sustainability. In a 2019 report, The World Economic Forum estimated the number of pigs slaughtered for food each year at close to 1.5 billion, while half a billion sheep are likewise turned into food. The figure for cattle hovers around the 300 million mark, but of course, chickens take the figurative crown, with some 50 billion – excluding male chicks and hens killed during the process of egg production – processed into meat. The Economist noted in 2011 that, “Humans are easily outnumbered by our farm animals. The combined total of chickens (19 billion), cows (1.5 billion), sheep (1 billion), and pigs (1 billion) living at any one time is three times higher than the number of people.”
The global human population of this planet has doubled over the last 50 years. But our meat consumption has tripled in the same time frame. Even without the moral or philosophical objections or reservations raised by celebrities such as Rickey Gervais or neuroscientists such as Sam Harris, the explosive growth in meat consumption is clearly unsustainable. Put simply, there is only so much more land where crops can be grown to feed more animals, and only so much more water that can be used in the process of raising, butchering, and producing meat. Even stout devotees of meat understand the math doesn’t work in the long term. The tech behind cultured meat is impressive, but some worry that like “flying cars,” it’s an idea that will never become cheap enough for mass production. If a plant-based 3D printed steak hits a 90 percent acceptance rate – this new adaptation of 3D printing technology might be the winner that brings home the bacon.
Author Bio
Eryk Michael Smith is a journalist, broadcaster, writer, and voice actor based in East Asia. For over two decades, he’s written and commented on emerging technologies, social trends, travel, and the cultures, languages, and history of the greater China area. He also works on developing opinion pieces and feature-length articles on global news.
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