Lab meat soon in Swiss shops?
Research into alternatives to animal meat is in full swing. Cultured meat could be a resource-efficient source of protein in the future. Migros now wants to conquer the Swiss market with cultured beef steaks together with an Israeli start-up. The two companies have submitted a licence application to the federal government.
Friday, August 18, 2023
As reported by «20 Minuten», the Israeli start-up Aleph Farms wants to bring the world's first cultured beef steaks to the Swiss market. To this end, it submitted an application for approval to the Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office (FSVO) in cooperation with Migros. Migros has been working with Aleph Farms since 2019 and is also involved in the development of alternative meat products in Switzerland. Migros sees great potential in lab-grown meat to be able to sustainably cover the globally increasing meat consumption. According to a survey by Migros and Aleph Farms, 74 percent of Swiss consumers are open to cultured meat. However, it will probably be a few years before cultured steaks can be bought in Swiss shops. According to «20 Minuten», Migros does not expect distribution before 2030.
Alternative protein sources sought
Cultured meat, also called in vitro meat, is a meat product that has not been grown on the animal. Muscle stem cells from cattle are stimulated to grow in a special nutrient medium. The meat thus grows in a container and not on an animal. In the future, steaks and other meat products will be produced in a more resource-efficient and climate-friendly way. It is also a contribution to the development of alternative protein sources. In countries with a Western-style diet, animal-based foods provide the majority of protein. Since the production of animal proteins requires an extremely large amount of resources such as land, water or feed, alternative protein sources are sought.
Whether proteins from the laboratory are really more resource-efficient in the end, however, remains to be seen. But one thing is clear: for people to switch to non-animal proteins, the products have to taste good to them and they have to be in line with local eating traditions. Otherwise, the products will not be bought and thus cannot contribute to environmental protection. In addition, the food must be affordable for everyone. And this requires companies that can produce on a large scale.
Milk from the laboratory
In addition to meat, milk could also come from the laboratory or fermenter in the future. The Israeli start-up Remilk uses precision fermentation to produce milk that looks and tastes the same as the original cow's milk. However, according to the start-up, the «cow-free» milk has a significantly smaller ecological footprint.
Sources
Kindly note:
We, a non-native editorial team value clear and faultless communication. At times we have to prioritize speed over perfection, utilizing tools, that are still learning.
We are deepL sorry for any observed stylistic or spelling errors.
Related articles
How a Swiss start-up protects its inventions
The topic of meat substitutes is on everyone's lips here in Switzerland, as in many countries. At the forefront of Swiss manufacturers in this field is the start-up Planted, whose success is partly due to its systematic protection of intellectual property.
13 Megatrends: 'Avalanches in slow motion'
The world is changing. The complexity is great and that makes it difficult to keep track in everyday life. Megatrends provide orientation here. They outline the main lines of change. Megatrends are valuable navigation aids to classify and understand change. The Zukunftsinstitut describes megatrends as 'avalanches in slow motion'. This image describes the phenomenon well. Megatrends develop slowly, but have an enormous impact on the economy and society. They determine our future life.
From stem cell to steak
Meat production consumes a lot of resources. And for a wide variety of reasons, people are eating less meat or even giving it up entirely. A growing number of companies are therefore looking into alternative methods of producing meat – for example, in a lab.
How German Experts View New Breeding Techniques
In hardly any other country is the idyllic image of organic farming cultivated in the public sphere as carefully as in Germany. Naturalness and rural authenticity are powerful mental refuges for many Germans. Against this backdrop, it is hardly surprising that resistance to new breeding techniques is strong – and that ignorance about the realities of organic farming sometimes appears almost deliberate.
Why consumers accept gene-edited foods on their plates
Acceptance of gene-edited foods increases when the tangible benefits for consumers are easy to understand. A recent study by the Center for Food Integrity (CFI), conducted in collaboration with FMI – The Food Industry Association, shows that consumers evaluate technologies such as genome editing positively when they recognize clear advantages for health, the environment, or food security.
Beautiful and delicious mutants on your plate: The misunderstood world of crop improvement
When most of us hear the word mutation, the images that come to mind are not positive. We think of radioactive monsters, comic book villains, or genetic diseases like sickle-cell anemia. In popular culture, “mutants” are often synonymous with danger. Possibly the most famous are Marvel’s X-Men, who have enjoyed four big-screen incarnations and an enduring place among sci-fi movie aficionados.
Sperm crisis with a question mark: what the Swiss study really shows – and what it does not
The state of Swiss semen appears worrying – unless you live slightly south of the city of Aarau. There, sperm quality among young men is reportedly the highest. The prime suspect is quickly identified: pesticides.