Cultured food is a popular group of foods that could help to feed our growing population. Cultured food comes in many different forms, and it sometimes refers to any type of food which is fermented. However, in the modern day, it’s a term used to describe food items made from microbial cells, which are then grown to create meat, fish, or vegetables. This process uses microbes or single-celled organisms to create food. You’ll find that there are many different types of cultured food, and we are now in the age where we can benefit from lab-grown meat and fish. Keep reading as we discover what cultured food is the healthiest and how cell cultured meat could be a way in which we feed the population as it grows in the next decades.
What Cultured Food Is The Healthiest | Lab-Grown Fish
Lab-Grown Meat | Lab-Grown Vegetables
What Cultured Food Is The Healthiest
Cultured food comes in many shapes and forms, and you’ll find that it ranges from healthy to unhealthy. Lab-grown vegetables are a great example of a healthy cultured food choice, and these cultured vegetables are manufactured to offer us the vitamins and minerals you would expect from a typical vegetable product. Kefir grains and cultured milk drinks are two other products that offer you a health boost, but as you can imagine, not all of the milk drinks are low in calories or a healthy option for the growing population. Let’s discover how some of the most common types of cultured products and how these are created in labs around the world.
Lab-Grown Fish
You may be surprised to learn that lab-grown fish and lab-grown seafood are two options that are only likely to increase in popularity to feed our growing population. We’re sure you are aware of the issues surrounding fishing and overconsumption within our oceans. With so many ethical concerns around fishing, it’s no surprise that people are looking for new ways to enjoy fish without harming the planet. Fish is consumed around the world and is a staple food for many of the population. With many benefits of certain fish, including high doses of omega-3, it’s something many of us can’t afford to eat. However, saving our oceans is of high priority, which is where cultured fish comes into play.
A Hong Kong food startup company called Avant Meats debuted this product, which were fillets of fish that were then cooked before being served to the public. They look and smell just like regular fish products, with a consistency similar to that of crab cakes. As with regular fish, the texture changes as it is cooked, starting off firm before cooking, then becoming more like real fish in the pan. Cultured salmon and fish are a step towards meeting our growing demand for seafood while also meeting the climate goals around the world. You may be surprised to learn that this process is actually quicker than aquaculture processes, as it often takes up to two years for the fish to reach the right weight to be eaten. With lab-grown fish, in just two months, there will be enough weight to serve the product to consumers.
Lab-Grown Meat
Artificial meat or cultured meat is produced without slaughtering an animal and has been approved for sale for the first time by the Singapore Food Agency. This approval by a regulatory authority is a huge moment for the industry, and it’s an exciting time for the developers of these products. Many companies are researching how to make cultured meat, which includes chicken, beef, and pork. There are so many concerns surrounding the treatment of animals for food, and you’ll find that this offers a cruelty-free and drug-free way of feeding the population. Instead of killing millions of animals each year and using up a huge amount of land in the process, this way of making meat involves a single cell.
Lab-grown food is grown in a bioreactor, and the cells of the meat are then combined with plant-based ingredients. Companies are starting to sell these products in restaurants to begin with, as it’s currently more pricey than typical chicken or meat products. However, once the production process continues to scale, there’s no doubt this will be a solution that we can purchase every day in our local stores. For individuals who are trying to reduce their meat consumption for ethical reasons, this looks to be one solution that will allow them to continue enjoying their favorite dishes without guilt.
Lab-Grown Vegetables
While lab-grown meat and fish have received a lot of press in recent years, you might not realize that lab-grown vegetables are another type of cultured food. Cells from vegetables can be taken and grown, which will speed up the process of growing food for our population. There’s no denying that growing some vegetables can be incredibly time-consuming, and they use a huge amount of land and resources. Land is already in short supply in some areas of the world, but by creating lab-grown vegetables and cultured dairy products, we can overcome this issue and offer our population a healthy source of food still. Vegetables and fruits are critical for us to receive the vitamins and minerals we need to thrive and survive. You’ll find that lab-grown vegetables can still offer the same health benefits without the risk of pesticides and chemicals making their way into our bodies.
Cultured food is a new type of food that’s likely to become a way in which we combat environmental concerns surrounding feeding the growing population. While these foods are currently still in the early stages of development, we expect more interest and funding to be given to them in the upcoming years. You’ll find that when cultured food becomes quicker and easier to produce that these products will take their place among our current groceries in stores. We can’t wait to see more cultured food readily available to consumers and see how this source of food saves our planet in the future.
