Lab-Grown Meat Goes on Sale for the First Time

Scientists have developed something that a few decades back would have seemed impossible: meat produced without the killing of an animal. After many years of research, lab meat has been created in bioreactors with animal cells, and has finally been approved to be sold for the first time. This is a huge development for the meat industry and could potentially help tackle environmental issues such as climate change.

The US company Eat Just has produced "chicken bites" using animal cells in a controlled environment. This lab-grown meat has been given approval by Singapore and will be available for purchase.

The aim of the company is to provide sustainable and ethically produced meat as well as reducing the impact the production of industrial livestock has on the climate crisis. Also, unlike plant-based alternatives which have been recently created, the “chicken bites” are made from real meat, making it more appealing for consumers.

However, this product still needs to face some challenges. Firstly, producing lab-grown meat is very expensive, and the costs are much higher than the plant-based options. Although the original price of $50 dollars for each nugget has gone down, it will still be as high-priced as premium chicken. Additionally, the reaction of the customers could be another issue. While some are excited to try this product and believe this is an environmental-friendly option, others are skeptical and doubt it is a good meat alternative.

Bibliography

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Carrington, D. (2020, December 2nd). No-kill, lab-grown meat to go on sale for first time. The Guardian. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/dec/02/no-kill-lab-grown-meat-to-go-on-sale-for-first-time

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Miller, R. W. (2020, December 2nd). Lab-grown 'chicken bites'? Cultured meat product gets world's first regulatory approval. USA Today. Retrieved from https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2020/12/02/eat-just-lab-grown-chicken-gets-regulatory-approval-singapore/3791581001/

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