For decades, the American meat industry has been growing and evolving to suit the population’s needs. First, its main goal was to produce as many pounds of meat as possible. Then (as the animal activist rights movement gained popularity) it was treating these animals humanely and respectfully. Now, it is testing to see if beef from a cow can be replicated inside of a lab.

 

According to Aryn Baker, author of “The Cow That Could Feed the Planet,” this experiment first started with a group of limousin cows in the Netherlands.. These cows were favored very highly for their beef; considerable time and effort went into making sure these cows were as perfect as possible. Soon, an idea was formed: can this type of beef be recreated inside of a lab? Scientists were brought into this equation to test whether the experiment was even possible. Turns out, it was.

 

Every few months, licensed veterinarians equipped with a small amount of topical anesthetics and a scalpel will remove a pepper-corn sized sample of flesh from these cows, where it will then be shipped to the lab, Baker reported. 

 

Once it arrives, it will be placed in a nutrient-based liquid and left alone while the muscle cells undergo mitosis. Once the liquid is fully absorbed and the muscle has reached the stage of development where the scientists are pleased, it will be sifted out and mixed with a sample of fat-turned stem cells. Baker informed, the stem cells underwent the same process as the muscle cells; however, they formed fat instead of muscle.

 

This type of experiment has been conducted with multiple animals, including ducks, pigs, lamb, chickens, and even mice. Each experiment has yielded the same results: meat from whatever animal that had been tested was successfully grown.

 

While it may seem slightly unnecessary to grow food inside of labs, lab-grown beef can actually help repair and restore biodiversity, the environment, as well as the climate.

 

Beef farming is a very hit-or-miss practice. Most of the time, small, family-owned businesses will treat their cows with respect and let them have access to both a barn and multiple pastures. Name-brand meat producing companies seven times out of ten do not allow their cows to have full-range access; some even keep their cattle stalled for extensive periods of time. 

 

Furthermore, biodiversity would be at an all-time low if raising one’s cattle was not done correctly. Plant life would be overwhelmed with the sheer amount of cattle in one area, and (if they are not rotated to a different pasture daily) can be killed completely. Climate is also affected by beef farming. According to Baker, cows can produce up to 5.8% of the world's annual greenhouse gasses, and a gas known as nitrous oxide, which can be 25-298x more potent than carbon dioxide. 

 

Growing beef in labs can significantly reduce this amount to an almost miniscule percent. It will also make feeding the world population more efficient because the amount grown can be controlled, tweaked, and increased. 

 

Though it may seem appetizing (or just plain gross) to eat a type of meat grown in a lab, it is a great solution to the many issues that regular meat-farming creates.

 

 

Works Cited

Baker, Aryn. “The Cow That Could Feed the Planet” Time. 2 Nov. 2021. Retrieved September 22, 2022, from https://time.com/6109450/sustainable-lab-grown-mosa-meat/