Though Christmas is a mere two weeks away, it’s not a festive food that’s been on my radar recently, but one that’s been created in a lab.
This past week, in a world first, the Singapore Food Agency gave US company Eat Just the green light to sell their lab-cultured chicken meat in the Asian country. It’s poised to appear on the menu of an unnamed restaurant in the form of nuggets and will sell for the same price as premium poultry, Reuters reports.
Grown from animal muscle cells in a lab, man-made proteins such as this one are described as "clean meat" as they don't come from slaughtered animals. There are more than 24 companies worldwide who are testing lab-grown fish, beef, seafood and chicken.
Ghoulish or progress? Pundits believe this "no kill" meat alternative heralds the dawn of a new world which cares about health, animal welfare and the environment.
Whether or not you agree, this development is set to shake up the global meat industry — and perhaps one day, the South African braai.
Here’s what else has been cooking in the world of food, wine — and my kitchen — this week:
Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package. 