Lab grown burger could provide sustainable source of meat

29-Jun-2011 - Last updated on 18-Aug-2020 at 11:39 GMT

Researchers believe that meats could soon be produced in a lab rather than a field (image: Dr Mark Post)

Researchers developing new meat products grown from stem cells say that the first products, which should be ready within the next year, could begin a movement to more sustainable meat production.

Speaking with FoodNavigator, Mark Post, professor of physiology at Maastricht University in the Netherlands, who is leading the research into lab grown meats, said that his team are currently aiming to produce small strands of meat which can then be processed to produce burgers and sausage type foods.

However, he said that the long term goals of the project have to be to grow much larger pieces of meat, such as steaks and chops, if the process was to succeed in helping to solve the ever growing problem of world hunger.

Post said that the current project is a ‘proof of principle’ project, which will require a lot more development before lab grown meats are commercially viable. However he added that he did see the technology being used commercially “not too far in the future.”

“Our goal is to build one burger in the coming year. It’s going to cost 250,000 Euros, so it’s a very expensive burger … but hopefully this will create enough enthusiasm and financial support to upscale and economise the processes, so that we can improve and start to think about a real manufacturing process,” said Post.

9 comments

Excellent alternative for Meat Lovers - Clean and fair meat eaters and Religious people

Posted by Mauricio Murillo, 21 July 2011 - 02:45 GMT

I found if this idea is keep out of the big Food commercial Chains of Meat . It is a good and healthy alternative to avoid eating animals feed with corn ; will liberate the poor people to eat mc Dnlds and other meat-organs-bone hamburgers (like) products and will give the consumer to eat food free of fillers; fats; Poison; and bacterias. On top of that the religious people will be very happy not to kill the animals and pets.

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Mushrooms are an excellent alternative to Meat

Posted by Anna, 08 July 2011 - 11:14 GMT

Mushrooms are an excellent alternative to Meat...as the other poster noted; one could take tons of mushrooms and make meat like patties which are nutritious too

I am not for stopping Cattle; although I am a vegetarian; Cattle have a right to live too; every coin has two sides...imo

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Of greater efficiency..

Posted by Steve Howe, 07 July 2011 - 19:28 GMT

Would be to develop plants that more realistically mimic the taste and texture of meat - some mushrooms already do this, but using a photosynthetic production process is more efficient. Growing plants to feed to animals which convert plant energy to animal is likely an order of magnitude less efficient.

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