In 2013 the first cultured meat burger was a success. You take some tissue from livestock, purify the cells, give them broth to grow on in the lab, and you get a burger. Right now this process has yet to be scaled up, but a lab-grown steak might become a reality in the future. Would YOU eat it? Prof. Verbeke from Ghent University researched consumers’ acceptance of this novel type of food. Initial reactions included feelings of disgust and unnaturalness, however, people could relate to the global societal benefits. Cultured meat will most likely be positioned as an alternative for conventional meat, as is the case for meat substitutes such as tofu, seitan or quorn. Are you ready for the burger of the future?
Reference
Verbeke, Wim, et al. “‘Would you eat cultured meat?’: Consumers’ reactions and attitude formation in Belgium, Portugal and the United Kingdom.” Meat science 102 (2015): 49-58.
