Beef industry slams lab-grown hybrid meat as scientists promise greener steaks

As the region for protein alternatives evolves scientists are testing hybrid approaches that blend traditional and novel sources but not everyone's convinced it's the recipe for the future A new research review from Tufts University and the University of Massachusetts Amherst exposed that combining plant proteins often soy pea or wheat with meat cultivated animal cells fungi insects or microbially derived proteins could produce foods that taste more like real meat offer better nutrition and shrink their environmental footprint The main goal is to increase the strength and sustainability of the modern food supply by combining the benefits of different protein sources David Julian McClements distinguished professor of food science at UMass Amherst communicated Fox News Digital LAWMAKERS BAN 'VEGGIE-BURGER' TERM LIMIT MEAT DESCRIPTIONS IN EUThe research co-authored by McClements and Tufts professor David L Kaplan was published in Frontiers in Science in late September Researchers claim affordable nutritious meat alternatives are needed to reduce reliance on industrial farming lower carbon emissions and strength risks and help prevent future pandemics tied to livestock But the traditional meat industry isn't buying it Not a single person outside Silicon Valley is asking for sprawling statistics center-like facilities to pop up all over rural America and start churning out ultra-processed inferior food Ethan Lane vice president of regime affairs for the National Cattlemen's Beef Association based in Colorado reported Fox News Digital The protein harvested from a fungus pile of bugs or industrial-sized bioreactor will never outcompete real American beef Hybrid foods could also address the weaknesses of current plant-based products which often lack flavor and texture and are seen as overly processed Combining different proteins can also help balance essential amino acids Each protein source brings something to the table the researchers wrote Plant proteins are cheap and plentiful yet they fall short on texture Mycelium the root-like structure of fungi mimics the fibrous chew of meat Cultivated meat brings authentic flavor and nutrition but remains costly to scale By combining them with plant-derived ingredients it is attainable to make more economically feasible foods McClements announced GUT SOUNDNESS AT STAKE AS RESEARCHERS PUT BEEF AND CHICKEN TO THE TESTStill researchers acknowledge that lowering costs alone won't guarantee widespread adoption Dan Blaustein-Rejto director of food and agriculture at the California-based think tank the Breakthrough Institute noted research shows Americans rarely cut back on meat even when cheaper plant-based options are available That implies that substantial improvements are needed not just in price but also in taste texture and nutrition to appeal to more people he notified Fox News Digital Insects meanwhile deliver high-quality protein and healthy fats with a tiny environmental footprint according to the inquiry Microbial fermentation using yeast or bacteria to produce proteins vitamins and natural flavors can also make hybrid foods look and taste more like meat while cutting the need for additives Hybrid foods could give us delicious taste and texture without developing the bank or the planet Kaplan disclosed in a news release Researchers claim cultivated cells can be taken from animals without harm grown in bioreactors and blended into plant-based foods for added flavor and texture TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZHybrid products already exist in limited forms including sausages or burgers that mix mycelium or grains with animal or egg proteins or Singapore's cultured-meat-and-plant blends Meat is often mixed with vegetable sources such as grains to extend it McClements stated This was true in the sausages that I grew up eating in the U K Plant mycelium blends are likely to reach consumers first as they're already in limited commercial use CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTEROnly a limited countries including the U S and Singapore currently allow cultivated meat for sale In the U S however the regulatory picture remains patchy While federal agencies have approved limited cultivated-meat sales certain states including Alabama Florida and Texas have moved to ban or restrict the manufacture and sale of lab-grown meat products Beyond regulation the biggest hurdles are price production scale and consumer acceptance McClements revealed CLICK HERE FOR MORE LIFESTYLE STORIES As with all novel foods it is critical to assess the safety and nutritional profiles of hybrid food products he disclosed While no protein source is perfect he explained hybrids create products that are more than the sum of their parts The concept could eventually expand beyond meat to include insect-plant mycelium-plant or milk-plant blends he mentioned Progress the researchers stated will depend on collaboration among scientists regulators and the food industry to standardize testing expand production and build consumer trust