The future of the meat, hopefully, is meatless, and the world is in a transition period where labs are trying to produce cultured meat. Nes Tziyona's Meatech company has taken the creation of cultured meat tissue a step further by using a 3D printer, Haaretz reports.
Before we dive in, you should know that cultured meat is actually real meat. It is produced by in vitro cell culture of animal cells, instead of from slaughtered animals. So it delivers all the nutritional value without a huge amount of resources going to farming and doesn't release toxic methane gas into the atmosphere as cows do.
It is just packed with positives, and this new technology could be such a milestone for the industry.
How does it work?
But how do they achieve it, you ask? This jello-like futuristic-looking meat is possible thanks to the one-of-a-kind head of the 3D printer. This innovative 3D printer's head sprays the tray with layers of biological ink that contains the embryonic stem cells of a calf. This is done rapidly and creates the look and thickness of a steak.
Cells' growth can be directed in the bio-reacter to make them develop into fat cells. Their printer can couple different "inks" to create different flavors of steak too.
While most recent results are not exactly Michelin stars worthy, the company states that within no more than a year, in a world-first, they'll be able to 3D print a proper, small steak that is rich in fiber, fat, and aroma.
Patent on pending
Moreover, the company is targeting the industrial market by fast producing multiple steaks in the future. In order to achieve this goal, the company is working on an industrial 3D printer that has several printing heads. This will enable them to create, possibly, one unit of meat every few seconds.
The company has already submitted a patent request for the 3D printing technology. Sharon Fima, CEO and co-founder at MeaTech, says, "It is already known globally that it is possible to produce cultured meat cuts. Our goal is to show that this can be done in an industrial capacity."
