What is cultured meat?

Cultured or lab-grown meat is produced by replicating animal cells in a laboratory.

The product of cultured meat is almost indistinguishable from conventional meat, but it doesn’t involve the slaughter of animals.

This lab-grown meat is created by initially extracting stem cells from a living animal without harming it.

This extraction uses local anaesthesia, which provides relief from any pain the animal may experience.

The animal may feel slight discomfort, similar to a routine blood test.

The harvested cells are then placed in bioreactors and mixed with a nutrient-rich solution, allowing them to grow and multiply into muscle tissue.

Scientists shape the tissue into edible “scaffoldings”, which offer structural support and allow tissue development.

Then, it is possible to transform these tissues into various meat products such as steak, chicken nuggets, hamburger patties, or salmon sashimi.

The final product is a cut of meat that one can cook in many ways without requiring animal slaughter.

Read our complete article "Cultured meat: exploring the future of sustainable food"