Laboratory-created meat and fish aim to reduce animal suffering while creating more environmentally sustainable food, but doubts arise about this food. Laboratory meat, as well as fish, supposedly have the same properties, but there is still a while until we see such food in supermarkets.
Another of the doubts generated by this production method is whether it will be a healthy meal and if its flavor and texture are close to reality. Chicken, pork and beef are already being created in laboratories, as well as some kinds of fish.
Miguel Ángel Lurueña, author of the book "Don't Let Them Fool You About Food," explains the manufacturing process for both lab-grown meat and fish. He explains that they collect cells from live animals and place them on a controlled surface for cultivation.
See offer on AmazonThey are allowed to grow with all their nutrients, but always within a frame with a specific shape. According to the author, at the moment only chicken nuggets and beef burgers have been manufactured, since manufacturing a steak is very complex and involves creating a structure that resembles an animal muscle and ensuring that the organization of the cells is the same. adequate.
Furthermore, this manufacturing process does not include the natural fat found in the muscle tissue of a living animal, nor the blood flow that nourishes the cells.
At Cuidateplus they speak with Sílvia de Lamo, a professor of Health Sciences Studies at two important Spanish universities, the Open University of Catalonia (UOC) and the Rovira i Virgili University.
She explains how they create the fish in a laboratory, and the process is very similar to that for meat. They anesthetize a fish, collect muscle cells , and mix them with enzymes in a controlled culture. To achieve the shape of the fish fillet, for example, they use a 3D printer.
Laboratory meat or traditional process?
No matter how controlled the manufacturing in a laboratory, the taste, smell and texture will never be the same as real meat or fish. Regarding the nutritional composition, these are aspects that companies will improve little by little.
It's too early to consider it a safe product, but we must remember that all food carries some risk, however minimal. The relevant authorities will determine whether it is safe to eat or not.
As we said at the beginning, one of the objectives in this change in food manufacturing processes, animal suffering and the environment come into play. The trend towards vegan and vegetarian diets continues to increase as society is becoming aware of the climate crisis and the conditions of animals in the meat industry.
According to Stop Industrial Livestock Farming , around 14,5% of Greenhouse Gases come from intensive livestock farming , where 50% are methane and approximately 26% are gases such as CO2 and nitrous oxide.
It's very important to note that lab-grown meat is not vegan , as it's made from the cells of living animals and uses fetal bovine serum in its cultivation . These processes simply remove animal cruelty from the equation.