August 28, 2006

 

Scientists proposes producing meat without animals
 

 

New production techniques proposed by scientists may soon put cattle ranchers out of a job if they are adopted by major meat companies.

 

An international research team has proposed producing meat not in the farm but the laboratory, according to the BBC.

 

Current advances in tissue engineering allow cells to be grown directly into meat in a laboratory, the researchers said.

 

As such, the benefits to the environment and companies could be immense.

 

Jason Matheny of the University of Maryland, part of the team whose research has been published in the Tissue Engineering journal said it was a workable idea, at least in theory.

 

Growing meat in laboratories would eliminate issues of animal welfare and lessen environmental concerns. At the same time, it also eliminates the need for producers to monitor animals for diseases and outbreaks.

 

In fact, the idea comes from the forefront of technology: space. NASA has been culturing edible fish tissue for its astronauts in small amounts.

 

To embark on industrial-scale production, producers would have to grow the cells on large sheets and stretch it periodically to grow muscles.

 

Still, no one is taking up the offer as yet. Such technology involves the use of cloning and the FDA has asked companies not to market any such product until its safety has been adequately evaluated. However, scientists last year have found that beef from live cloned animals matches industrial standards.

 

The technology to grow meat in laboratories does have its own limitations however- it is nowhere capable of producing a steak or chicken breast at the moment, researchers say. Never mind the taste.