FUDZS

As the global meat industry stands on the brink of a paradigm shift, the United States is poised to lead the charge. The recent green light for the sale of cultivated meat in the U.S. is not just a gig step for science, but also a potential economic boon that could reshape the landscape of agriculture and food industries in the country (and the world).

Cultivated meat offers a plethora of economic benefits that could stimulate growth and innovation. First and foremost, it has the potential to create a new industry sector. This implies new job opportunities, research and development advancements, and a surge in related ancillary industries such as cell culture media, bioreactors, and food processing technologies.

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The future of space travel may rest not only in the strength of rockets, but also in the lab-grown steaks that could sustain astronauts! Cultivated meat is a technology that could revolutionize not just our diets on Earth, it will be a perfect technology to nourish astronauts during extended space missions.

Cultivated meat is essentially real meat, produced by harvesting animal cells and then nurturing them in a lab until they grow into muscle tissue. It’s not science fiction; it’s a very active field of study that holds vast potential for our future. On Earth, it offers numerous advantages over traditional livestock farming, such as lower greenhouse gas emissions, reduced land use, and a solution to the ethical issues surrounding animal farming.

Looking ahead, in space, countries are not just planning trips to the International Space Station. They are setting sights on the Moon and even Mars. Both NASA and private space companies like SpaceX have ambitious plans for lunar bases and Martian colonies. One of the biggest challenges these pioneers will face is how to feed astronauts during their journeys and upon their arrival.

Sourcing food for space travel is a complex problem. Traditional food sent from Earth has a limited shelf life, is heavy, and requires a lot of space—both in terms of storage on the spaceship and on resupply missions. And of course, it’s impossible to deliver a meal to Mars in a day 🙂 Growing food in space or on other planets is another option, but it presents its own set of challenges, including the need for large amounts of water, soil, and light, and protection from harsh environmental conditions.

That’s where cultivated meat comes in. It can be produced in a controlled environment using minimal resources, making it an ideal solution for long-distance space travel. Cultivated meat could provide a sustainable, scalable, and nutritionally complete food source for astronauts, offering essential protein for their diets.

Just imagine: future astronauts may be able to bring along a small bioreactor, a container in which animal cells could be grown into meat. Instead of consuming only pre-packaged meals, they could produce fresh, high-quality protein on-demand. This isn’t just beneficial for long space journeys, but also for future colonies on the Moon or Mars, where resupply from Earth will be infrequent at best.

While we’re still in the early stages of making this a reality, the concept of cultivated meat in space isn’t new. NASA

In all our communication, we take time to explain what exactly cultivated meat is and how it’s produced. Then, why not to write an article on the subject 🙂

The concept of cultivated meat was popularized in the early 2000s by Jason Matheny, who co-authored a paper on cultured meat production. However, the media attention took place in 2013 when Mark Post, a Dutch scientist, unveiled the first cultivated meat burger on live television. This event sparked a wave of interest and development in the field​.

Also known as cultured, lab-grown, or cell-based meat, cultivated meat is genuine animal meat produced by cultivating animal cells directly. It eliminates the need for conventional animal farming, yet provides a product that replicates the sensory and nutritional profiles of traditionally sourced meat. This means that you could enjoy a juicy steak or a tender chicken breast that was grown in a lab, not on a farm.

At the heart of this technology are two types of cells: stem cells and primary cells.

Stem cells are the body’s building blocks with the ability to transform into various types of body cells. For the production of cultivated meat, these cells are harvested from animals and then placed in bioreactors, or cultivators. These devices mimic the conditions inside an animal’s body, providing the cells with an oxygen-rich cell culture medium supplemented with nutrients and proteins essential for growth. As the stem cells proliferate in this environment, changes in the medium composition and cues from a scaffolding structure guide them to differentiate into the skeletal muscle, fat, and connective tissues that form meat.

Primary cells represent another viable source for cultivating meat. These are cells directly isolated from animal tissues that retain many of the functional characteristics of the tissue of origin. While they don’t have the same broad potential for differentiation as stem cells, primary cells can be an excellent source for producing specific types of meat. They can be cultivated under similar conditions to stem cells, with adjustments made to the cell culture environment to support their specific growth and development.

Regardless of whether stem cells or primary cells are used, the differentiated cells are eventually harvested, prepared, and packaged into the final meat product. The entire process, from cell collection to meat production, can take between 2 and 8 weeks depending on the type of meat being cultivated.

The potential of cultivated meat isn’t limited to common meats like chicken, beef, or pork. Companies are also exploring the cultivation of high-end and exotic meats such as elk, lamb, bison, and Wagyu beef. Seafood, too, is part of this exciting frontier, with ongoing efforts to cultivate different species of fish and other marine delights. This means that in the future, our plates might be adorned with a range of sustainably produced, cultivated meats that satisfy our gastronomic desires while reducing our environmental footprint.

Have you any question about cultivated meat? Just ask us!

At FUDZS, we are committed to creating a more sustainable and resilient food system thanks to cultivation of adipocytes (animal fat cells). Our unique approach allows us to decouple yield from land use and lower greenhouse gas emissions. Producing high-quality cultivated meat with superior taste is significantly dependent on the way we cultivate fat. Fat is a crucial contributor to the flavor, texture, and juiciness of meat. When meat is cooked, the fat melts and infuses the meat with its unique flavor, a process known as marbling. By fine-tuning this process, we can create meat products that have the perfect balance of lean meat and fat.

We are proud to be part of this revolution in the food industry, and we are excited to offer innovative products that not only taste great, but also contribute to a healthier planet. By embracing these new methods of fat production, we can future-proof our food system, ensuring that we can provide enough food for our growing population while also reducing our environmental impact.

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Scientists have conducted a study on the potential environmental impact of large-scale cultivated meat production in 2030. Cultivated meat production is an emerging technology that produces meat without the need for animal slaughter. The study used an ex-ante life cycle assessment method to evaluate the environmental impacts of cultivated meat production. The researchers examined greenhouse gas emissions, water consumption, land use, air and water pollution, as well as energy consumption related to cultivated meat production.

The study found that cultivated meat production could have a considerably lower environmental impact than traditional meat production. The production of cultivated meat does not require the use of farmland, water, and food for animals, nor does it result in emissions of greenhouse gases related to animal farming. However, the researchers noted that cultivated meat production still requires energy to operate production facilities and to produce the nutrients needed for muscle cell culture. They suggested the use of renewable energy sources and sustainable nutrients to reduce the environmental impact of cultivated meat production even further.

Cultivated meat has the potential to reduce the pressure on natural resources such as water and land, while also reducing greenhouse gas emissions. However, additional research is needed to make it a sustainable and cost-effective alternative to traditional meat production. The study provides insight into the potential of this emerging technology and highlights areas where further research and development are needed.

Sources: “Ex-ante life cycle assessment of commercial-scale cultivated meat production in 2030“