Lab-grown meat is safe as long as the right steps are taken because it has been approved by the FDA. The first country to allow lab grown meat to be sold was Singapore in 2021. As of now, the United States and Singapore are the only countries allowing it to be sold. However, many countries have not approved of it because they worry that it may not be safe to sell to the public.
The debut of lab grown meat was in the 1990s, and in the year 2013, scientists started to focus more on developing it. In Nov. 2022 the FDA approved it to be sold to consumers by The Upside as well as Good Meat. It took the FDA less than a year to approve that this meat was safe to be sold to the public.
Freshman Sirine De Rambures said, “Lab grown meat is deemed safe to consume, although I think that the structure may not mimic the meat. However, I would still prefer it since it would help minimize harm to animals.”
Lab meat is grown by scientists using stem cells which are the main building blocks of muscles and other organs. The cells are put in a petri dish along with amino acids which are molecules that are combined to make protein, They also add in carbohydrates which is what helps them multiply and grow. Eventually, once a sufficient amount of muscle fibers has been created, it becomes ground beef.
Lab meat is more beneficial than regular meat because it doesn’t involve slaughtering, excessive water usage, pollution, and land use. Livestock is responsible for around 80 percent of the land use for agriculture. This land could be utilized for commercial use, farming, etc. Another benefit is that cultivated meat may be more budget friendly and production may be easier.
Cultivated meat is something that will hopefully continue to be beneficial and safe for the public.
