The future of our food

Growing food in a laboratory is no longer just a work of science fiction, but a promising reality.

In early August, a five-year project culminated with a taste test of the first lab-grown beef.

The two expert tasters had positive things to say about the beef, although acknowledging it tasted a bit different from regular beef.

“In vitro meat,” as it’s called, is made from stem cells and injected with different proteins to help the cells thrive. Researchers added breadcrumbs and other seasonings to the meat in order to create a more beef-like appearance.

Although this first patty took more than five years and $330,000 to produce, researchers predict lab-grown beef hitting the market in as few as 10 years.

The mass production of this beef would undoubtedly please animal lovers and cows, but what does this matter to me, neither of the aforementioned?

One word: deliciousness.

If lab-grown meat can be made, specific flavors shouldn’t be far away. I’m talking cookie-flavored bacon and Skittles-flavored pork chops. If we can make candles that smell like marshmallows, I better be eating a marshmallow-flavored steak at Applebee’s.

This is the cure for obesity. Meat is only the first step. Fruits and vegetables can taste like anything you want. Skip the gym, eat some cake-flavored broccoli instead.

But in reality, burgers could be cultivated to certain health specifications.

Patties could be leaner and healthier without future generations noticing the difference.
I’m going to be telling my grandkids they don’t know what real meat is as they leave me at my nursing home.

Lab-grown beef is nothing to be afraid of. Skepticism will arise that it’s not real beef and is not akin to beef coming straight from a cow. After everything else that is in our diets, this “in vitro” beef is the least of our worries. The processed and unhealthy food we put into our bodies everyday is hardly comparable.

A sweeping trend of organic grocery stores has been taking hold of America.
InBloomington, Bloomingfoods is seen as a hip, organic place to get great food. “In vitro” food will be a step above organic. Local hipsters and food nuts may one day find them themselves bringing lab grown food to class and work.

Critics might believe that it is everything that organic is against; however, that is far from the truth.

Lab-grown food could be cultivated to contain all of the proteins and nutrients necessary to our body, without any of the excess waste.

Mass production could also help defeat the problem of hunger. When the process is simplified, lab-grown meat could be produced in mass quantities with less hassle than at a modern day farm.

Quantities could be produced quickly and shipped to countries with a hunger problem.
Even further down the line, patties could be specifically made to tolerate warmer temperatures, making it even easier to transport.

Even though these are all just possibilities, they are absent in today’s food system.
In simple terms, the lab-grown beef could be one of the first steps in advancing our culture.

From hunter-gatherers to farming, lab-grown food is the next step in sustaining the billions of people on this planet.

— lewicole@indiana.edu