Global food systems are responsible for around a third global CO2 emissions. This has prompted a steady increase in attention to climate-friendly foods.
Around the world, scientists are working on sustainable food development. They have a wide range of crazy ideas, from 3D printed meat-free steaks to edible invert burgers.
MailOnline looks at some futuristic foods, many of which may become staples on our menus in 2030.
Around the world, scientists are working on sustainable food development. They have wacky ideas from 3D printed meat-free steaks and edible insect burgers.
The impact of climate change on agriculture is one of the driving forces for the development of lab-grown or ‘cultivated meats.
According to the International Panel of Climate Change (IPCC), agriculture, forest, and change of land-use account for 25 percent of the human-caused greenhouse gases emissions.
The main source of methane and nitrogen oxide emitted from agriculture is primarily livestock.
Rich Dillon from Ivy Farm Technologies stated that: “The environmental benefits of real meat produced without the use of livestock farming are well known, along with their animal welfare advantages and human health benefits.” We know consumers will be willing to buy and try the product.
Henry Worthington, Oxford Economics Director for Economic Consulting, stated that the sector is just beginning but offers significant potential.
He stated that there are many ways for entrepreneurs, businesses and other individuals to ‘exploit global opportunities in a transition away from more conventional agricultural methods towards more sustainable ones’.
The Food Standards Authority estimates that it will take 18 months to approve a cultured meat application. Therefore, the initial products won’t be available until 2023.
However, it is possible that the main aims of “cultivated” meat to increase sustainability and food supply may not come true even when they do.
Professor Jean-Francois Hocquette, an Agronomy Engineer from INRA (the French National Institute for Agricultural Research), says there is no evidence that lab-grown produce is more sustainable than traditional farming at scale.
MailOnline was informed by him that he could not find any scientific evidence to support this claim. These topics have only been examined by three scientists, who did not find agreement. In all cases, three studies alone is insufficient to reach solid conclusions.
Sausages cooked in the lab
Ivy Farm is a British agricultural technology company that hopes to produce a viable, commercially-viable product from ‘lab-grown plants’ by 2023.
This would likely come in the form of mince and sausages, the firm told MailOnline, thanks to a technology called ‘thermo-responsive scaffold’.
Ivy Farm scientists begin with muscle and fat cells taken from live animals, unlike other methods which take skin cells and turn them into muscle or fat cells.
Ivy Farm’s chefs reported that mince behaves and tastes the same as regular meat.
This allows them to grow more cells by receiving nutrients to promote optimum growth.
The firm explained that they are fixed to a structure, which is controlled temperature for best harvesting, growing and environmental outcomes.
They will start with minced meat. It is made of pure muscle, pure fats and no connective tissue.
Chefs who have used the mince have told us that it tastes and acts the same as regular meat.
‘Preliminary results have indicated that the product’s fat is lower in saturated fats and higher in omega 3 and omega 6 than pork fat. According to the company, muscle also contains high amounts of amino acids.
MeaTech steak
MeaTech in Israel unveiled the biggest lab-grown steak ever created by MeaTech in December.
It weighs 3.67 ounces. The meat is made with real fat, muscle cells and tissue taken from living cows.
In 2021, there were many innovations in the “lab grown” meat sector. This includes a 3.67-oz steak that was made with real fats and muscle cells (pictured).
After printing the slab of meat, it was placed in incubator to mature. The stem cells were then allowed to differentiate into fat cells and muscles cells. These cells develop into muscle tissue and fat.
“MeaTech” is a company that aims to develop a replacement for traditional steaks. It focuses on cell-based content and not other ingredients.
“MeaTech plans to keep improving its bioprinting technology and cultivation technologies in order to produce cultivated beef that better reflects the characteristics of premium farm-raised steak.”
Lab-grown latte
It isn’t just meat getting the ‘lab-grown treatment’, as a group of scientists also created the first lab-grown, genetically engineered coffee, which they claim ‘smells and tastes like the real thing’.
The researchers, based in Finland, used a process called cellular agriculture – which involves extracting cells from a small plant or animal sample.
The genetically engineered coffee is another advancement. It’smells, tastes and smells just like the real deal’ even though it’s not made from a coffee bean.
VTT’s Cellular Agriculture Method produces roasted coffee from the cultures of coffee cell cultures.
Already, it has been used for the production of artificial milk and meat.
Cell samples from Arabica were used to test the new lab-grown alternative. This popular coffee plant accounts for 56% of world production.
After cell samples had been collected, they were sent to bioreactors where biomass was produced. The biomass was used for roasting and brewing.
Researchers claim that they are able to tackle the sustainability problems facing coffee production, including the lack of space needed for plants in order to meet the demand.
Wagyu beef 3D printed
Researchers have produced the first 3D-printed Wagyu beef. It is marred ‘just like real meat’. The 3D printing was done using stem cells.
The vast majority of “cultured” meats have been produced as mince, rather than steak. They are made from simple muscle fibres and do not contain complex structural elements.
Osaka University also produced a 3D printed Wagyu steak made from beef. The meat was made with muscle and fat cells.
But, Steaks, particularly Waygu, are made with fat, muscle, and blood vessels. These intricate structures create a marbling effect. The Osaka University team was able reproduce this using 3D printing.
Dong-Hee Kang, study author, said that this work could help to usher in a more sustainable future using widely available cultured beef. It is also closer to current products.
It was not clear what the final cost would be for producing steaks, or the time it would take to get the product on the market.
Fungus ice cream
A California start-up is using fungi to make a protein it says is ‘molecularly identical’ to the whey in cow’s milk.
Perfect Day has a lab-made compound that can be used in the production of ice creams, cheeses and other creamy treats.
California’s start-up uses fungi for a protein that it claims is “molecularly identical” to cow’s milk whey.
While oat, soy and almond milk have become increasingly popular, co-founder Ryan Pandya told CNN he and business partner Perumal Gandh were looking for something with the ‘incredible versatility and nutrition that is somehow missing from the plant-based milks.’.
They started out by identifying the genetic code for the whey protein in cow’s milk and then introduced that code into a fungus – Trichoderma reesei.
The fermentation tanks were used to produce whey protein. This is then processed and dried into powder.
Maille O’Donnell from the GFI’s corporate engagement team said that she liked Perfect Day’s fake ice cream. “Friends who had tried it said that it tasted exactly like dairy icecream in a way that plant-based icecreams don’t.”
Foie-Gras in the Lab
The first ever lab-grown foie gras came from duck stem cells. These cells are obtained by taking cells out of a single fertilised egg.
They are fed the same nutrients that a duck receives, such as proteins, amino acid, and lipids.
It’s lab-grown. The first ever laboratory-grown foie gras was created by using duck stem cells. Gourmey, a French startup based in Paris developed the product.
Researchers claim the end result tastes similar to foie gras but without any ethical issues.
It is developed by French startup Gourmey, which says its lab-grown alternative alleviates concerns over the traditional pâté, which is made from the liver of a force-fed duck or goose.
‘In the egg you have stem cells and they have the capacity to divide and multiply indefinitely, as long as they have a good environment,’ CEO Nicolas Morin-Forest told Sifted.
He said that the duck was given the same nutrition as the eggs and the cells are now multiplying like they were in an egg.
Morin Forest said, “Then, you adjust nutrients to trigger cell types that you wish,”
“If you are looking for liver cells or muscles cells, then you must adjust the inputs. The cells will respond accordingly. Our products are then made from muscle, liver and fat cells.
Delicious insects
Future food trends will include insects. Henry Dimbleby (co-founder of Leon restaurants), stated that edible insects may be part of the nation’s first national strategy for food in 75 years.
And in 2018, Sainsbury’s became Britain’s first supermarket to sell insects on its shelves, offering ‘smoky BBQ’ crunchy crickets.
Future food trends will include insects. Henry Dimbleby (co-founder of Leon restaurants), said that edible insects might be part of the nation’s first national strategy for food in 75 years.
Because they use fewer resources than raising livestock, crickets, worms, and ants can be more environmentally-friendly. They are also healthier alternatives to meat.
Because they are rich in protein, nutrients and magnesium, these foods have been dubbed the next “superfood”.
Europe allowed mealworms, beetle larvae to be used in food products, earlier this year. Now, farmers want to raise bugs for food.
The UK’s first farm to serve up tasty treats made solely from creepy-crawlies, and they claim that they taste even better than beef.
An urban farm in Ealing, London, is putting insects on the plate, in attempt to promote a more environmentally-friendly, sustainable source of protein.
Edible insects offer a healthy and sustainable alternative to meat. They are high in vitamin B12, protein and omega 3, and low calories.
Coop in Switzerland, the second largest supermarket chain, began selling insect burgers and insects balls. They were produced by Essento, which uses protein-rich mealworms. The bugs are raised under strictly controlled conditions.
Was there anything left to be done?
In May 2021, leading experts forecasted that lab-grown beef would be the most popular vegetarian option by 2030.
‘Food is going to change more in the next 10 years than it has in 10,000 years, due to new innovations in food technologies and biotechnologies,’ said Ryan Bethencourt, CEO at dog food company Wild Earth.
The future is bright for lab-grown meat, which will transform from being a rare concept into a household staple.
Professor Mark Post from Maastricht University, the Netherlands, said that cellular farming is a new technology. He also mentioned the need to reduce food waste and change consumer behavior.
MailOnline was told by Michael Wight (FSA Head of Food Safety Policy), that while he recognizes the value of other proteins in meeting sustainability goals, safety remains paramount.
“Our goal is to safeguard consumer rights and make sure food is safe. We also want to create new products.
British businesses have never been allowed to offer cultured meat products for sale to the public, Mr Wight stated.
He said that the FSA was open to discussing potential industry applications to help them along the way.
According to the FSA, it could be covered by existing food safety and novel food legislation. However, approval to market other products will likely take up to 18 months after first application.