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Science

Israeli firm is the latest to print out a "real beef" lab-grown steak

By Ben Coxworth
December 07, 2021
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MeaTech 3D's 3.67-oz (104-g) lab-grown steak ... with greens
Shlomi Arbiv
MeaTech 3D's 3.67-oz (104-g) lab-grown steak ... with greens
Shlomi Arbiv

Earlier this year, we heard how two separate groups had developed the world's first lab-grown rib-eye steak and Waygu beef. Israeli startup MeaTech 3D is now joining their ranks, with a "cultivated steak" of its own.

First of all, why would anyone want to grow beef in a lab?

Well, for one thing, doing so could ultimately eliminate the need to slaughter cattle. Additionally, it would be possible to tweak meat characteristics such as fat content. And while some cows might be still be raised for the dairy and leather industries, there would be great reductions in things like the amount of land used for pastures, the use of growth hormones, and the emission of greenhouse gases in the form of cow burps and flatulence.

MeaTech 3D is now claiming that at a weight of 3.67 oz (104 g), its lab-grown steak may be the largest to have been produced by anyone so far.

The process began by isolating bovine stem cells from samples of natural beef tissue, then multiplying those cells in the lab. Once enough of the cells had been produced, they were formulated into bio-inks which were extruded by a 3D bio-printer – that printer was guided by a design file of the cellular structure of natural beef.

The bio-printed product was subsequently placed in an incubator, where the stem cells differentiated into muscle and fat cells which formed the two types of beef tissue.

There's currently no word on the texture of the steak, or on how much it would presently cost to produce on a commercial scale, both of which are ongoing limitations in the development of lab-grown meat. MeaTech 3D states that it is continuing to refine the technology, and that it is also working on lab-grown pork and chicken.

Source: MeaTech 3D

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Science3D bioprintingLab grown meatNew Atlas Audio
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Ben Coxworth
Based out of Edmonton, Canada, Ben Coxworth has been writing for New Atlas since 2009 and is presently Managing Editor for North America. An experienced freelance writer, he previously obtained an English BA from the University of Saskatchewan, then spent over 20 years working in various markets as a television reporter, producer and news videographer. Ben is particularly interested in scientific innovation, human-powered transportation, and the marine environment.
9 comments
Lamar Havard
Call me 'Herbert', but I'll give this effort a 'no-go'.
Smokey_Bear
That picture looks disgusting, and I'm not against plant based meat, I'm all for it.
Someday I'm hoping they can make a juicy cheeseburger, that taste great, while having the nutrition properties of a salad. :)
Username
@Smokey_bear this is not plant based. And A&W has a tasty impossible burger.
guzmanchinky
I seriously cannot wait for lab grown meat. I love meat. I hate everything else about how it's made.
Douglas Rogers
One thing that cattle can do is make cellulose edible by humans. Termites can do this but ugh!
Phaedrus
Obviously we're in the primitive stages of it now, but if we could affordably produce lab-grown meat that was indistinguishable from pasture grown I'd be all for it. As guzmanchinky said, I love meat but I hate how it's produced.
Kevin Ritchey
I’m all for manufactured meat products especially if they can reproduce the mouthfeel but ONLY if they can do so without the gristle and fatty connective tissues that regular meat possesses. Having to pay for useless portions by weight and carve around much of said portions really dissuades me from even buying meat. It also complicates preparation. I’ll be waiting…
MichaelShortland
It is my understanding that currently to make lab grown meat it takes 300 cows worth of fetal hormones to produce 1 pound of meat, so it has a long way to go.
ljaques
That fake fat ring around the perimeter looks horrible, so I'd pass on that. I'm perfectly happy with most (NON-soy) vegetable based synth meats, so this sounds even better. I'm always reading SciFi books with vat-grown algae "meat", so let's get this right early on. What say?
Big question to the lab guys: Can this lab-printed meat be BBQed? If not, forget it right now. All my meat (except brown and serve sausage), and I'm a meat eater, goes on the gas grill, period.
@Username: watch your boobs. The "impossible" type burger is overflowing with hormones and boys are getting boobs from the soy meats like that.
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