The number of people inhabiting our planet will reach 10 billion in the near future. In order to feed humanity, it will be necessary to produce twice as much food as we do now. Increasing food and livestock production can lead to serious environmental problems that could result in a food crisis. Disappointing forecasts are forcing scientists to think about alternative options for growing food on an industrial scale. To this end, huge investments are being made in artificial meat growing technologies, the creation of vertical farms, and the search for new alternative products that will save humanity from hunger.
Meat from a test tube is an escape from the greenhouse effect
The active development of livestock farming and the increasing use of land resources for growing fodder are gradually worsening the ecology of the globe. Cattle, along with large enterprises, are one of the main polluters of the environment. In many countries, livestock farms emit more greenhouse gases than all cars, airplanes, and thermal power plants combined. At the same time, livestock are increasingly competing with humans for resources because they require large spaces, food, water, electricity, and fuel. In the UK, 90% and in the US, 70% of agricultural land is used for pasture or planted with animal feed.
There will soon be nowhere to increase the production of animals for human consumption – this is a dead end for the planet’s development. That’s why scientists and large investors have been developing artificial meat and other products for several years to provide humanity with the necessary volumes of food. And they have all come to the same conclusion – it is necessary to create artificial meat that will taste like regular meat, but will be much healthier.
NASA scientists were among the first to think about in vitro meat in 2001, when the technology was needed to provide adequate nutrition for astronauts on the ISS. Today, the production of artificial meat is reaching commercial scale. In 2013, Mark Post, a professor at Maastricht University, was the first to demonstrate test-tube-grown meat to the world. His “artificial cow hamburger” weighing 140 grams was virtually indistinguishable in taste from the natural one. However, the cost of its production at that time amounted to 330 thousand dollars. But in just a few years, further technological developments reduced the cost of the process by almost 30 thousand times. Today, the price of artificial meat is about $60 per kilogram, and an artificial hamburger costs about $10.
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The technology of growing meat consists of three stages: first, animal stem cells, from which muscle tissue develops, are taken and placed in a nutrient medium necessary for cell growth and division. Then a piece of real meat is introduced into it – the basis around which new cells grow. The next step is to maintain cell movement and temperature, and supply the cells with oxygen and nutrients. To do this, bioreactors are created in the laboratory, where meat cells grow, enriched with oxygen and removing their waste products. And after a while, meat appears in the tubes, which can be cooked and eaten. To date, there are two types of artificial meat: unbound muscle cells and muscles formed from fibers. In the near future, it is planned to grow whole steaks to meet all the demands of the population.
The main problem with the existing method of growing meat is the use of live fibers supplied by donor animals. The American company Just has solved this problem and in 2018 launched the production of artificial meat without the use of whey, which is the most expensive and ethically controversial component in the process of growing meat. Just managed to reduce the cost of the production process, and soon the US market will see inexpensive sausages, hamburgers, and nuggets made from artificial meat grown without the use of donor animal cells. The cost of such meat is comparable to the price of regular meat. And if their taste is indistinguishable from natural meat, they will be able to push traditional meat products in sales.
Artificial eggs and milk – clean food without allergens
Dairy products made from plant-based ingredients already account for 9% of the US market. The California-based startup Perfect Day decided to offer customers a new type of artificial milk based on genetically modified yeast. The DNA of nutritional yeast was genetically modified, after which its microorganisms produced milk proteins, including casein, lactoglobulin, and lactalbumin. The production process resembles brewing, and the finished product, according to the company, has most of the properties of cow’s milk. Perfect Day also promotes its technology as a basis for creating imitation cheeses and various yogurts. At the same time, milk based on GMO yeast is not contraindicated for people suffering from allergies and intolerance to milk bacteria.
Egg-free vegan eggs have long been popular among people who do not consume animal products. Beyond Eggs, which are artificially produced, went on sale in the United States in 2013. The plant-based eggs are free of antibiotics, cholesterol, and harmful microorganisms. Bill Gates noted their environmental friendliness and ethical production “without the use of chickens”. These eggs are made from a vegetable cocktail that includes more than 12 ingredients. The producers have managed to fully recreate all the properties of eggs that are necessary for making omelets and baking. And today they are working on the development of artificial eggs with a texture that is indistinguishable from natural eggs.
