What is lab-grown meat made of? Process and differences with real meat explained as nutritionist issues caution

Food author and nutritionist Diana Rodgers' interview criticizing the lab-grown meat industry is making rounds online. The interview gained traction as the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved two companies, UPSIDE Foods and GOOD Meat, to sell their products on Wednesday, June 21, 2023.

The nutritionist explained that the best type of meat comes from farm-raised animals allowed to graze in the open without hormones as opposed to factory farming. In her interview with the New York Post, the author criticized cultivated meat and said:

"I’d rather eat my shoe than lab-grown meat."

According to BBC, the Mark Post of Maastricht University created the first cultured beef burger patty in 2013. Today over 150 companies across the globe are working to produce consumable lab-grown meat.

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Lab-grown meat is made from cells harvested from a living animal without harming it

According to Good Food Institute, the cultivated meat process starts by extracting a living animal's muscle cells under local anesthesia to relieve pain. These cells are placed in large tanks called bioreactors and are fed an "oxygen-rich cell culture medium" consisting of nutrients like amino acids, glucose, vitamins, inorganic salts, and proteins.

Soon the cells begin to grow and multiply into real muscle tissues, which can be arranged into intended cuts or scaffoldings to make desired products like steak, chicken nuggets, or hamburger patties.

This product is not artificial meat but is just grown in a lab as opposed to a conventional factory farm where the animal is raised and slaughtered. For this reason, many ethically-minded consumers opt for meat alternatives.

Another key difference between the two products is that lab-grown meat does not contain growth hormones and high concentrations of saturated fats associated with conventional meat.

A fervent critic of plant-based meat, Diana Rodgers, reveals cultured meat is expensive, and current technology doesn't permit scaling productions for profit. According to Bon Appetite, a pound of cell-cultivated meat cost about $17 to make, whereas regular meat costs $2.

While companies that produce such meat can alter the meat's nutritional profile, Rodgers explains that there is a lack of nutritional data about lab-grown meat available to the public, making it extremely difficult to determine its effects on health.

"I have yet to see a life cycle assessment on the production of it. We don’t have any public data... McDonald’s is still better because the meat is a better option for vitamins," she stated.

Additionally, a study conducted by UC Davis concluded that the carbon footprint of lab-grown meat could be worse than conventional meat. Traditionally it was believed cultured meat is environmentally friendly as it utilizes "less land, water, and greenhouse gases." However, it uses "highly refined growth media" comparable to pharmaceutical levels, which increases the net carbon footprint.

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Lab-cultivated meat is one of the several alternatives to factory-farmed animals. As research continues to make cultured meat more sustainable and nutritious, one of the ways to help farmed animals is to "choose a plant-rich diet."