I was excited to learn an Israeli company, Future Meat Technologies, recently opened the world’s first cultured-meat factory. For those who don’t know, cultured meat is grown from cells, without slaughtering animals. The factory can make 500 kilograms a day of cultivated chicken, pork, lamb, and, soon, beef. That’s equivalent to about 5,000 hamburgers.
Despite such progress, the United States government should fund open-access research to advance the field of cellular agriculture. Significant obstacles remain, like achieving cost parity and making whole-cut products. Congress should support development of cultured meat for the sake of the environment, public health and animal welfare.
Jon Hochschartner