In the not-too-distant future we may have a non-beef beefsteak, a non-pork pork sausage, a non-meat burger or patties on our tables. Is called synthetic or vegetable meat and they are sustainable alternatives to satisfy our palate as when we eat products of animal origin.
Scientists and researchers are working for reduce the ecological footprint and animal suffering. As we all know, intensive animal farming is one of the major sources of pollution together with water consumption (the production of a single hamburger requires 2.500 liters of water). Furthermore, the production of food of animal origin requires a large use of food resources which is not compensated by the production of meat, milk and eggs for the market. Then there is the ethical issue of slaughter and, lastly, excessive quantities of red meat can seriously harm your health.
We often hear about synthetic or vegetable meat. Alternatives that could replace the real one, created in the laboratory and very close in flavour, texture and protein intake. Pioneer of this sector is the company Beyond Meat. In 2009, the process of recreating products similar to meat but of vegetable origin began. The products are recreated with broad beans, rice, beetroot juice and, of course, vegetable oils to recreate the fat. Two years later, Patrick Brown, a former biochemistry researcher at Stanford University, arrives with theImpossible Burger, aimed at achieving a result that seems impossible: challenging production costs, rules and eating habits.
The products of these two companies can be found in American fast food restaurants but also in Italian Burger Kings, on the Rebel Whopper menu. It is a meat burger but without meat, prepared in the laboratory through the biochemical transformation of vegetables. In detail, the meat is made by mixing coconut fat with potato proteins and eras, an organic compound containing iron that serves to replicate the effect of blood. The result? Very similar look, taste, smell and even the sizzle of when the meat is cooked on the griddle.
Another example is the Italian biomedical researcher and engineer, Giuseppe Scionti, who presented with his startup Novameat in Barcelona the project of a steak in 3D, obtained from materials of vegetable origin such as peas, seaweed and beets. Using 3D printing we get a crossing of filaments that resemble those of an animal muscle.
The first laboratory-produced hamburger was eaten in London in 2013. Thanks to the work of scientists from Masstricht University in the Netherlands, under the guidance of Mark Post, who created the flesh by leaving from cow stem cells and grown into muscular strips, then blended and flavored like real meat. The goal is to create fabrics that contain omega 3 capable of lowering cholesterol, preventing the risks associated with cardiovascular disease.
In September 2019 the beef in space. The experiment carried out by the Russian Station, in collaboration with an Israeli company, was based on the use of a 3D printer for the production of biological tissue starting from cells first cultivated on our planet. While the technique still needs to be perfected, this achievement demonstrated the possibility of producing meat directly in space. In December 2020, however, Singapore has authorized the sale of synthetic chicken nuggets grown by the American Eat Just. In January 2021, "The Chicken" was inaugurated in Tel Aviv, the first place with a menu based on meat grown in test tubes.
These are just a few examples of startups or researchers who are committed to finding useful alternatives to alleviate the damage caused to our planet by meat production. And if the battle on the substantive level has not even been won, the formal one has. Brussels has rejected the request by companies in the sector to associate the term meat, hamburger, sausage or steak with products of vegetable origin.
Despite what one might think, the majority of people who consume these products are not vegetarians or vegans, rather flexitarians, i.e. those who replace animal proteins with vegetable ones as much as possible, or who are looking for a "healthier" alternative to beef or even those with a more environmental soul. For this reason companies are trying to create products that look exactly like meat: to provide a sustainable and healthy food system.
What concerns the public the most concern the possible effects on health. According to many nutritionists, synthetic meat has not been promoted with flying colors, since it is lacking in excessive amounts of saturated fat, sugar and salt. Another problem concerns production costs, which are still very high but could be reduced in the future thanks to the improvement of new techniques.
In an interview with MIT Tech Review, Bill Gates discussed all initiatives aimed at reducing carbon emissions. Among these is the consumption of synthetic meat, at least in rich countries. An absurd proposition for meat lovers, but for the founder of Microsoft, alternatives to meat will continue to grow and improve. And that could be the end of meat as we know it.
