It is no secret, we have heard about lab-grown meats that are slowly starting to gain more and more attention.

And if you are not aware of it, then here you go, a lekke serving of meat made in a lab that is just like the real thing….ok, well not exactly, let’s not expect a proper flank steak yet. For now, mince meat is probably the first step.

There has been a lot of R&D into lab-grown meats over the past while, and big strides are being made. I know that it sounds like quite the ‘weird’ concept, and a lot of people might pull up their noses to the idea, but in the grand scheme of things, if we would like to continue consuming meats in the future, this is something to look into quite seriously.

Looking at our food production, as it stands at the moment, it is broken. Unsustainable and inhumane practices in factory farming create long-lasting issues for animals and the environment. When cattle are farmed at an industrial scale, they can cause as much (if not more) environmental pollution as cars. These inhumane living conditions cause pollution from animal waste and methane gas that directly impacts the planet on every level—contaminating our air, our water, and our land.

The question is, after facts like these, would you still pull up your nose to lab-grown meat??

So what exactly is lab-grown meat?

Lab-grown meat doesn’t come from slaughtering animals. Instead, it comes from harvesting the cells of a living animal. In fact, cells taken from a single cow can produce an astonishing 175 million quarter-pounder burgers!! Talk about producing meat in a humane way and giving these beautiful affectionate four-legged giants a break!

Lab-grown meat is also free from the growth hormones that are often injected into farm animals to make their meat better. This makes the Lab-grown meat healthier.

I for one will most certainly go for a lab alternative for my protein fix.

But the big news here is that South Africa is taking it a step further, by pouring a lot of research into, not only lab-grown meat but venison at that as well. Pretty soon you’ll be adding your favourite piece of venison on the braai as part of your Saturday kuier!

Mzansi Meat Co and Mogale Meat Company are two proudly South African entities that are looking at new ways to reimagine our food systems.

The future sure does look bright if this Tech can prove a viable solution to the world’s food crisis.

Listen to my chat with Theunis HERE!