‘Clean Meat’ - An Appropriate Name for the Future of Food
‘CLEAN MEAT’ - AN APPROPRIATE NAME FOR THE FUTURE OF FOOD
Written by Dalton Sweet
Scientists, universities, and startups (such as Memphis Meats) are paving the way for a healthier future. In recent years, they have discovered a way to grow real meat without the harmful use of animals. They begin by painlessly extracting stem cells from livestock. In a laboratory setting, they add nutrients and coax the cells into fibers. Finally, they combine the fibers into various meat products, like hamburger patties.
Don’t let words like “scientist” or “laboratory” scare you. Clean meat (also known as cultured meat) is grown without antibiotics, unlike much of the regular meat available today. This highly controlled process also eliminates the risk of salmonella and other bacterial contaminants. Finally, there is always the potential to tweak the nutrient profile of clean meat, allowing a healthier fat to protein ratio.
Since “the world’s demand for meat will soon outpace our supply of cows, chickens, pigs and other edible animals,” viable alternatives are crucial to a healthy diet. Clean meat is the certainly the future of food - it provides an option that is healthy, environmentally friendly, and compassionate to animals; while still offering the taste, texture, and genetic makeup of real meat. Unfortunately, clean meat is still in development; but it is expected to be widely available in grocery stores within the next five years. In the mean time, a reducetarian diet remains a great way to make a huge difference.
What are your thoughts on clean meat and the future of food? Send us a tweet @reducetarian!