Lab grown pork from stem cells

Dutch scientists have been successful in creating pork meat in a lab from the stem cells of pigs.

Reports state that the lab grown meat does not yet resemble or taste much like pork (with the consistency of a scallop), the results could prove to be a major landmark in the world's food supply.

"If we took the stem cells from one pig and multiplied it by a factor of a million, we would need one million fewer pigs to get the same amount of meat," said Mark Post, a biologist at Maastricht University involved in the project.

Slaughterhouses could be a thing of the past

This could mean that slaughterhouses in the future will no longer be needed. Global warming could be lowered by up to 95%, world hunger tackled - a green alternative may be possible.

Concerns
Although there seem to be positive future aspects, there are also concerns regarding meat grown in a lab. Some health experts are concerned about dangers to human health. Also, less dependency in livestock could affect the agricultural ecosystems.

"Part of our enjoyment of eating meat depends on the very complicated muscle and fat structure... whether that can be replicated is still a question," said biochemist Peter Ellis.

However, the researchers who are involved in the project believe that the benefits of the technology surpass the risks.

Source: mnn.com

Editor PigProgress

2 comments

Steve

19 Jan 2010 15:17

RE: Global warming could be lowered by up to 95%...
Could someone please document that livestock production for food accounts for 95% of global warming? What would the remaining 5% comprise?
Winston Davis

20 Jan 2010 08:25

Tech meat and other tech foods are ideal for space travel and bio-active food self-cultivation in human settlements and stays on other celestial bodies, such as our moon and Mars and its two moons, in our solar system. Tech meat is also a step in the right evolutionary direction for satisfying our attachment to a meat-based diet while ridding the Earth of the ground (including deforestation), water and atmospheric adverse byproducts of maintaining and expanding vast herds of meat animals and the depletion and consumption to extinction of rare wild land animals and fish and fowl for gourmet and exotic cuisine dinning, as well as for weaning ourselves from another archaic killing enterprise. Let's not everybody fear and reject biotechnology and tech foods. If some of us fear and oppose tech foods, don't obstruct and harass others who benevolently innovate, welcome and embrace tech foods. Co-exist peacefully.