The rich, savory aroma of a perfectly butter-basted, medium-rare steak fills the room as your eyes settle on the dish before you. The sight is mouth-watering, the meat seared to perfection. But have you ever paused to consider the long and complex journey—the resources, labor, and countless hands—that brought this meal to your plate? Let’s start at the beginning! Beef cattle are born serving the sole purpose of eventually becoming food. In the process of raising these cattle, they are fed with copious amounts of hay, grass, and water. According to Sentient Climate, producing a single pound of beef requires 2,400 gallons of water. That's 38,400 cups of water! Moreover, a single cow can produce up to 500 liters of methane each day, attributing to 3.7 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions. The transportation and slaughtering process only continues to add to this total, attributing to 14.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Finally, according to data from the USDA, in 2021, the average American consumed 56.2 pounds of beef each year. It’s clear that the meat industry has been an enduring problem to the environment. It may seem hopeless at times, but fortunately there are scientists who continue to uncover and develop new solutions. So what are these solutions and how do they work? Well you don’t need to give up eating meat as a whole… or not exactly. From innovative lab techniques to local startups, there are countless ways to create a more sustainable world through cultured meat. In this article, I'll break down how cultured meat is made and highlight some local companies already leading the charge in this growing field.
First, what is cultured meat? Although cultured meat is often confused with plant based meat, plant based meat uses natural ingredients that together, imitate the texture and taste of real meat whereas cultured meat is real and grown from the cells of the mammal. What does this process look like? It varies for every company, however the general, oversimplified format begins with the collection of muscle tissue, in which tissues for replication are sampled from an animal. Next, stem cells are gathered by separating the fat and muscle cells, as the muscle cells are the ones used to produce the meat. The third step involves growing the actual cells by replicating the environment inside of a cow and adding a serum that includes nutrients for the cells to grow (including carbs, amino acids, oxygen, etc). The muscle cells eventually grow into muscle fibers through constant cell contractions. As a result, you now have unstructured meat, similar to a smashed meat in a patty. This structure is more simple to create and involves less work, whereas structured cuts of meat, like a piece of steak involves bio printing which is more complex. While cultured meat remains a relatively new field, it offers endless potential in creating a way for meat lovers to enjoy food while still being sustainable. Let’s take a peek at some local companies who have endeavored on this journey of tackling cultured meats.
Located in the dogpatch neighborhood of San Francisco is Wildtype, a cultured meats company that focuses largely on sea food, especially fish. The company was founded in 2016 by Aryé Elfenbein, a PhD cardiologist and Justin Kolbeck a diplomat. They describe being heavily inspired from their careers in medicine and international relations. Motivated by advances in stem cell research and their direct experiences with global food insecurity in regions like Pakistan and Afghanistan, these longtime friends combined their expertise to rethink the future of seafood. Today, they have created cultured sashimi-grade salmon packed with the same amount of omega 3s & 6s as conventional salmon and other natural ingredients. Cultured seafood eliminates the potential of eating harmful chemicals or parasites we find in traditional fish, while also tackling the problem of destructive fishing and fish farming practices. As of 2024 Wild Type is looking to expand their product onto the market, making sustainable, cultured meat, more accessible for the general public.
Just across the Bay in Berkeley, another innovative company, Upside Foods, is revolutionizing the cultured meat industry with a focus on creating lab-grown poultry products. The company was founded in 2015 by Dr. Uma Valeti, a former cardiologist who saw the potential for cell-based technology to not only transform medicine but also reshape the food system. Inspired by his medical background and concern for global food security, Valeti teamed up with experts in tissue engineering to grow real animal meat from a few cells, without the need for traditional farming. Upside Foods produces chicken that mirrors the taste, texture, and nutrition of conventional meat, but without the use of antibiotics, hormones, or animal slaughter. The process uses significantly less land and water and emits fewer greenhouse gases compared to traditional animal farming. Upside Foods has been recognized by big news sites such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and Time. Moreover, today, as of 2024, they are focused on scaling its production, with plans to launch its cultivated chicken in select restaurants and grocery stores, providing a sustainable and ethical alternative to meat lovers everywhere.
While tackling the meat industry may seem like an overwhelming or even impossible task, companies like Wild Type and Upside Foods continue to be a leading force in showcasing the possibilities of change. Their innovative approaches and dedication to developing cultured meats serve as an example of a sustainable future in the meat industry. By supporting these local initiatives, we can all play a part in reducing carbon emissions while still maintaining a solid alternative for meat consumers.
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