Future for Lab-Grown Meat?

A handful of startup companies in the US and elsewhere are trying to develop ways to produce real meat from animal cells. The people at Memphis Meats think that they are close, and hope to get their cell-cultured meatballs, hot dogs, and sausages on store shelves in about 5 years.

A Bay Area-based startup called Memphis Meats has figured out how to make a real meatball in the lab using beef cells, no livestock required. The lab-grown meat process goes something like this, according to Valeti (CEO). Find ultra-high quality cows and pigs. Take meat cells from a pork shoulder or other cut of meat. Find the cells capable of self-renewal and cultivate them in a sterile environment. The cells are harvested early for tender cuts of meat, and harvested later for textured cuts.

If they can figure out how to make these products in a practical low-cost way and get them on the market that would be huge. I’m sure many people would enjoy the option of having potentially healthier and safer meat. You guys think lab-grown meat will be commercially viable anytime soon or is this still something for the distant future?

Memphis Meats meatball