I'm a Scientist and I Still Won't Eat Cultured Meat!

         In August 2013, the world marveled at a discovery made by Dr. Mark Post's lab at Maasstricht University in the Netherlands. His lab cultured meat in the laboratory with the use of stem cells obtained from a cow's shoulder. These stem cells were stimulated to differentiate, or convert themselves, into muscle cells. Upon differentiation, the newly generated muscle cells formed a strand, and 20,000 muscle strands were assembled to make a meat patty. This meat patty was cooked and sampled by individuals at an event in London, and while the reviews were not negative, its taste-testers did note that it lacked the flavor associated with the conventional burger.

          Dr. Post manufactured this patty to demonstrate that meat could in fact be made in a laboratory setting, and he hoped that this would be a starting point for ending world hunger in an environmentally conscious manner. Poverty is prevalent in many countries, and the current methods of meat production are believed to be leaving a large carbon footprint. However, is this really the answer? One caveat of the "lab burger" is that it was made with fetal calf serum, so as of now the patty cannot be made without pre-existing animal products. Another drawback is that stem cells have not been successfully isolated from other meat sources such as chickens and pigs, meaning that the types of meat that can be made in the laboratory may be limited.

          Besides the methods utilize to make the meat patty, another important factor to consider is the taste. Does the lab-made patty taste like that from a grass-fed cow? One of the taste testers noted that the texture of the patty was reminiscent of meat, but the taste was bland. Scientists noted that the stem cells utilized to produce the meat were not able to differentiate into fat cells, which may be the reason for the decreased taste of the patty.

          I think that it is amazing that meat can indeed be made in a laboratory, and it is a testament to the advancements that have been made in understanding the differentiation process of stem cells. However, I would not feel comfortable eating a beef patty made in a lab because I love juicy burgers. Dr. Post's group as well as others may encounter great difficulties in recapitulating the taste of farm-raised beef, so the taste is definitely a deterrent. Also, the idea of my food being cultured in a lab is not very pleasant. I've dealt with many chemicals and animal samples in my thesis lab, and I do not want my food being anywhere near that vicinity. I can appreciate the advances being made in the field of stem cell biology, but I rather keep those and my dietary sources separate.

The first lab burger at its grand debut in London.
Courtesy: Natt Garun, http://www.digitaltrends.com/cool-tech/unsurprisingly-300k-lab-grown-burger-tastes-horrible-heres-what-to-eat-instead/#!Qij7k