Researchers at Eindhoven University in the Netherlands have recently grown synthetic pork meat in a laboratory setting. Lois Rogers writes for The Times:
Link via Popular Science | Image: US Department of the Interior
The advent of so-called “in-vitro” or cultured meat could reduce the billions of tons of greenhouse gases emitted each year by farm animals — if people are willing to eat it.
So far the scientists have not tasted it, but they believe the breakthrough could lead to sausages and other processed products being made from laboratory meat in as little as five years’ time.
They initially extracted cells from the muscle of a live pig. Called myoblasts, these cells are programmed to grow into muscle and repair damage in animals.
The cells were then incubated in a solution containing nutrients to encourage them to multiply indefinitely. This nutritious “broth” is derived from the blood products of animal foetuses, although the intention is to come up with a synthetic solution.
Link via Popular Science | Image: US Department of the Interior
Personally, as a vegan, I find anything too closely resembling meat to be repulsive. Even some of the processed "mock meats" taste too close to the real thing for me.
This is for all the people who stubbornly won't give up meat for any reason -- here it is, with 99% of the cruelty gone!
Love that comic!