There has never been a better time to think about the future of food now that scientists have unveiled their latest lab creation. Dutch scientists recently held a press conference offering a taste test of beef they created from cow stem cells in their lab.
BBC News reports about the burgers grown in a laboratory that a few food experts had the opportunity to sample. The biggest difference noticed right off the bat between the lab-made ground beef and the real deal was that the stem cell beef seemed to brown a lot slower. The chef preparing the burgers noted that they had a pleasant aroma similar to regular beef burgers.
Once the burgers were sautéed in butter and ready to taste, food researcher Hanni Ruetzler was surprised at how close the texture was to real beef. Ruetzler explains, “There is really a bite to it, there is quite some flavour with the browning. I know there is no fat in it so I didn't really know how juicy it would be, but there is quite some intense taste; it's close to meat, it's not that juicy, but the consistency is perfect.” She adds, “This is meat to me... It's really something to bite on and I think the look is quite similar.”
As to whether we’ll be passing the “cultured beef” aisle in our grocery stores any time soon; probably not. One of the Dutch scientists behind the creation of the stem cell beef patty says it’s probably a good 10 – 20 years before we see this type of thing on the market.
What do you think of beef created in a lab? Would you try this if given the chance?
Do you think this is the future of food?