One of the major downsides to consuming meat is that your food was once a cute, cuddly farm animal. That is why so many people go vegetarian and vegan: to avoid the moral dilemma of eating meat. The company SuperMeat is trying to overcome that hurdle by creating meat that doesn't kill animals.
How Does it Work?
According to the company's website, SuperMeat is made "by incubating [animal] cells in a media that is rich in nutrients. Those nutrients help the cells thrive and divide. It is biologically the same as the meat that comes from animals." Essentially, cells are artificially grown to resemble the cuts of meat we're used to seeing in the grocery store.
Currently, only chicken meat is being developed by the company because it's one of the most heavily consumed meats out there. Although their products aren't for sale yet, SuperMeat is accepting donations on Indiegogo to make it possible.
Is it Better?
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One of the biggest benefits of SuperMeat is that it doesn't involve any harm towards animals. Cultured cells become whole cuts of meat without killing a single chicken.
Sustainability is another important issue in the world right now, especially since the world population is supposed to hit 9.7 billion by the year 2050. Our current way of raising livestock isn't good enough to feed that many people and it damages the environment, too.
According to SuperMeat, their product "requires 99% less land, 90% less water, [and] emits 90% less greenhouse gases." That sounds like a much better alternative to me.
Does this mean meat-eating will remain the dominant diet? Many vegans and vegetarians support the project, but would still continue their lifestyles. Ellen Fisher, a well-known vegan YouTuber, still believes that the meat would be unhealthy, but thinks that it would be an awesome alternative for meat-eaters who don't see themselves switching to a vegan diet.
Maybe someday you'll be walking through the grocery store and will see SuperMeat packages sitting on the shelf instead of traditional chicken. Who knows? Soon we might all be eating SuperMeat as a sustainable alternative to meat.