What is cell processed meat ?

Fantasy or reality? There's been so much in the media about meat products grown from cells in a laboratory.

In Singapore, cell manufactured chicken is available in supermarkets and restaurants and South Africa is not too far behind, says Dr Paul Bartels, CEO and founder of Mogale Meat Co — a cultivated meat company. Bartels is also a wildlife veterinarian who believes the new technology will complement rather than replace existing farming and veterinary practices and will give rise to new economic opportunities. 

To get our heads around the concept of enjoying a steak that was created in a laboratory, we asked Bartels about the new technology and what consumers can expect.

Q: What is cultivated meat?

Bartels: Cultivated meat is bio-identical to conventional meat, as it is cultivated directly from fat, connective tissue and muscle cells taken from an animal and grown in a bioreactor (laboratory apparatus used for growing organisms under controlled conditions). 

Q: What are the benefits of cultivated meat?

Dr B: There are a number of important benefits:

• only the desired cuts of meat are produced, with the potential to vary the fat quantity and quality as healthier options for consumers; 
• it will reduce the harmful climate impacts of our food system (livestock produce more greenhouse gases than all the transport in the world combined);
• it will decrease the risk of zoonotic disease (an infectious disease transmitted between species from animals) and antimicrobial (antibiotic) resistance;
• it has the potential to feed more people with fewer resources;
• it requires 95% less land and water to cultivate than conventional livestock farming;
• it will revive export opportunities for fresh meat lost due to disease outbreaks; and
• it will yield new economic and employment opportunities, with people trained and upskilled in various science and engineering fields.

Q: Will lab-grown meat eventually be an affordable food option for South African consumers?

Dr B: Cultivated meat will most likely only become commercially available in the next 10 years in South Africa, as it largely depends on regulatory approvals and the cost of production. Production costs are very high — though, as with any new technology, as scale-up takes place and product uptake increases, costs will drop. 

For more information, visit Mogale Meat Co's website.