U.S. Approves the Sale of Lab-Grown Chicken
Recently, the United States has approved the manufacture and sale of cell-cultured chicken.
Cellular agriculture is a process in which animal-based products are produced from cell cultures instead of animals.
The following two different methods are adopted in this process:
- Cell Culture: (cellular), and
- Micro-fermentation: (acellular- no cellular or living matter in the end product, such as milk). In 2020, Singapore approved the sale of cell-cultured meat. It has become the first country in the world to do so.
Benefits of cell-cultured meat:
- Reduction of Green House Gas (GHG) emissions: According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), global livestock accounts for 14.5% of total human-caused GHG emissions.
- Making meat in the lab would require 45% less energy than conventional beef. Animal rights will be protected.
- People will not need to change their dietary habits and they will also get nutritional security.
- It can be made healthier than animal-based products by reducing the amount of fat in it.
Challenges associated with cell cultured meat:
- The cost of cell-cultured meat is expected to remain high in the near future.
- Limited availability of high-quality cells and suitable growth-environment constraints exist.
- It can be difficult to produce the same taste, texture, fat content, etc. as beef meat.
- Due to lack of awareness, there is uncertainty about its acceptance among the consumers.
Source – The Hindu
