Dutch Scientists say they’re about a year away from producing beef mince grown from stem cells – without the need to kill any animals. Say hello to “vitro meat”.
The team believe their lab-grown beef, chicken and lamb could become the norm given predictions that the world’s population will increase to the point that casual consumption of real meat becomes a luxury. After proving the concept by growing strips of pork in 2009 (which reportedly had the texture of calamari), it looks like a burger is next on the team’s plate.
The pattie will be grown from 10,000 cattle stem cells left to multiply billions of times to produce a beef-like tissue.
I’m glad that this type of research is being conducted, because the way we’re headed, I may live to see the day where we need this. I’m just not particularly looking forward to it. [News.com.au]
Image is not of the test tube burger; it’s a real-life SPAM BLT burger from Hungry Jacks (Burger King) in Japan.