[softy54534]

The world's first lab-grown burger has been cooked and eaten at a news conference in London.

Scientists took cells from a cow and, at an institute in the Netherlands, turned them into strips of muscle that they combined to make a patty.

One food expert said it was "close to meat, but not that juicy" and another said it tasted like a real burger.

Researchers say the technology could be a sustainable way of meeting what they say is a growing demand for meat.

The burger was cooked by chef Richard McGeown, from Cornwall, and tasted by food critics Hanni Ruetzler and Josh Schonwald.

Upon tasting the burger, Austrian food researcher Ms Ruetzler said: "I was expecting the texture to be more soft... there is quite some intense taste; it's close to meat, but it's not that juicy. The consistency is perfect, but I miss salt and pepper.

"This is meat to me. It's not falling apart."

Food writer Mr Schonwald said: "The mouthfeel is like meat. I miss the fat, there's a leanness to it, but the general bite feels like a hamburger.

"What was consistently different was flavour."

Prof Mark Post, of Maastricht University, the scientist behind the burger, remarked: "It's a very good start."

The professor said the meat was made up of tens of billions of lab-grown cells. Asked when lab-grown burgers would reach the market, he said: "I think it will take a while. This is just to show we can do it."

Sergey Brin, co-founder of Google, has been revealed as the project's mystery backer. He funded the £215,000 ($330,000) research.

Prof Tara Garnett, head of the Food Policy Research Network at Oxford University, said decision-makers needed to look beyond technological solutions.

"We have a situation where 1.4 billion people in the world are overweight and obese, and at the same time one billion people worldwide go to bed hungry," she said.

[S.T.D.]

They told him it was artificial beef. It was actually artificial horse.

[Beerinkol]

Downloadable food in 30 years, here we come. Then there will be absolutely no reason to leave the house ever again

[Ifroham4]

oh just wait, its completely unlimited now.
but im sure there will be copyrights and limits on 3D printers built into them. so you would need to buy "licenses" to download said companies food

[tgs]

Think there'll be opensource food then though.

[brraverishhh]

I can see it now: new torrenters ending up in the hospital instead of getting a computer virus like they would have today.

[9mm_fan]

Finally meat Vegans can eat? or?

[Fegasderty]

For ethics based vegans, I suppose so. The true die hards will have an issue with the initial cells required, but logic/reason is ineffective on that type anyway.
It's still animal protein though, so health based ones won't be jumping ship. I can't imagine this being any easier on the digestion.

[softy54534]

There are so many great things that will come from lab grown meat. The end of questionable farming tactics, food shortage reductions, etc. But without a doubt, the best thing that would come from switching to mostly lab grown meat would be the end of (most) annoying vegans.

[Slonopotam845]

the best thing that would come from switching to mostly lab grown meat would be the end of (most) annoying vegans.

Oh, I'm sure they'll find a way to grow vegans in vats too.

[S.T.D.]

Honestly, I checked out the vegetarian forums, and there's been nothing but mutual support there for this. I don't really know how annoying vegetarians may be for you in real life, but why are you guys (also other comments in this thread) so mean to vegans/vegetarians?

[Beerinkol]

Because people tend to make a big deal out of it. It's like the old joke that goes "How do you know if someone is vegan or not? They'll tell you." Probably because communal eating is a popular cultural activity which most people participate in several times a day and it's not politically correct to berate food allergies which are very, very common. If preparing or sharing a meal it's simply good practice to inquire about dietary restrictions. In the end it's about respecting peoples preferences and not taking it personally. For some reason we would never expect people to listen to music or wear cloths they don't like but we expect it when it comes to food? As a cook I'm very proactively vocal about what goes into what I make especially if it contains something that may be problematic to someone.

[Ifroham4]

When they first said they were doing this, someone mentioned that because there was no fat in the burger it wouldn't taste very good. I guess they were right. But I can see this being commercially viable in about 10 years.

[tgs]

Fat shouldn't be too hard to add.

[tgs]

London has large quantities underground
Bus-sized lump of fat discovered in London sewer | The Verge

[NeroASERCH]

I think I puked

[brraverishhh]

Fat shouldn't be too hard to add.

I don't know much about the growing process but I doubt it will be easy. How does fat get incorporated into muscle tissue of whole animals? What could they "feed" these things that would mimic that? If they could just overfeed them it would be easy but I don't think uniform masses of the same cell can process nutrients like that.

[9mm_fan]

I imagine they could just add it in the mincing stage. No need to make the fat fibrous.

[Fegasderty]

Where would they get the fat from? Would vegetable oils do or would they have to use animal fat? Can animal fat be synthesized in a similar way or would butchering still be necessary? And if they add the fat later wouldn't they be consigning this meat solely for use in burgers (and sausages, meat pies maybe a few other things)? The goal is to produce this stuff cheaper than meat so that might not be the worst thing but at some point they might want to produce higher end things like steak and then some marbling research would have to be done.

[softy54534]

Liposuction clinics, duh.