Shoji Takeuchi/The University of Tokyo

Whether you are a carnivore or a vegan, there is little debate that animal meat offers humans exceptional nutrition that is often difficult (though certainly not impossible) to replicate using only non-animal sources. In addition, as any vegan activist will tell you, it is difficult to convince people to give up meat in favor of consuming only non-animal products.

On the other side, even the strictest of carnivores would have to acknowledge that consuming animals causes those animals to suffer in some ways. Even if the animal is properly cared for throughout its life (which, let’s admit, is far too often not the case), they are killed at some point to harvest their meat. Even if that slaughter is done as painlessly as possible, it necessarily cuts their life short. I certainly wouldn’t want that to happen to me, no matter how painless it was.

So, the two sides of this argument are at an impasse, right?

Well, perhaps not. According to a new study published in the journal Trends in Biotechnology, a solution both sides can live with might be closer than we think. Ok, maybe a full solution is a little optimistic, but it is encouraging none the less.

What is the solution? Lab-grown meat. Scientist have long been able to grow ‘meat’ in a lab, but it was very difficult to get it to have anything close to the right levels of nutrients, texture, or taste to be marketable to someone who enjoys natural meat. In addition, it would have been impossible to ‘grow’ enough meet to completely replace the meat industry as it stands today.

A new technology, however, seems to be making progress on all of those issues.

Shoji Takeuchi/The University of Tokyo

Researchers at the University of Tokyo came up with a new tool that they called a ‘perfusable hollow fiber bioreactor.’ This tool takes advantage of small fibers that work similar to blood vessels. These fibers are able to deliver oxygen and nutrients throughout the entire piece of lab-grown meat. It also encourages the cells to grow properly to create meat that looks, feels, and tastes more like natural meat.

Using a robotic system, the researchers were able to position these fibers precisely as the meat was growing so that it was far more efficient than would be otherwise possible. Once scaled up, this type of machine could create a fully automated meat manufacturing machine that, someday, could produce enough meet to satisfy the world’s demands.

In a statement from the senior author of the study, Shoji Takeuchi, it was said:

“Our study presents a scalable, top-down strategy for producing whole-cut cultured meat using a perfusable hollow fiber bioreactor. This system enables cell distribution, alignment, contractility, and improved food-related properties. Cultured meat offers a sustainable, ethical alternative to conventional meat. However, replicating the texture and taste of whole-cut meat remains difficult. Our technology enables the production of structured meat with improved texture and flavor, potentially accelerating its commercial viability.”

Once perfected, this could in theory produce artificial meat that would be virtually indistinguishable from natural grown meat. Of course, there would still be many people who would refuse to make the switch, but it would be much easier to convince people to opt for this option that eliminates the ethical issues with meat.

Shutterstock

Another issue, however, is that lab grown meat is estimated to be significantly more harmful to the environment than even the beef industry. This industry is still relatively new, however, so that problem may be able to be solved at some point.

The big question is, would you want to eat a lab-grown steak?

If you enjoyed that story, check out what happened when Email This Subscribe For Emails