Meat&Poultry - September 2013 - 8

Commentary
by keith nunes, executive editor
knunes@sosland.com

cultured communication
A

n impressive public relations

en counter while a hamburger patty

veloped the processes that led to the

event took place in London on

made from cultured beef was prepared

creation of cultured beef.

Aug. 5. The goal was to introduce a

using such household ingredients as

The problems Post hopes the tech-

new food technology called “cultured

salt, egg powder, breadcrumbs, red

nology will help alleviate include hun-

beef” to consumers and, at least ini-

beet juice and saffron. The patty was

ger and climate change. As the world

tially, it appears to have been a success.

cooked, the two volunteers then ate

population continues to grow and is

The event was a textbook case in how

the finished product and gave their

estimated to reach 9 billion people by

a complex and possibly controversial

opinions about its taste and quality.

2050, it is believed that current live-

technology may be introduced with a

The volunteers, a Chicago-based

stock raising processes will not be able

focus on minimizing consumer con-

author who has written extensively

to match the growing demand for pro-

fusion or concern.

about the future of food and an Aus-

tein. Since producing cultured beef

The setting and even the end prod-

trian food researcher, said after tasting

does not require feedstuffs to grow

uct were simple. In front of more than

the patty that the product needs work.

an animal and eliminates the waste

200 gathered media representatives,

While the texture is similar to tradi-

produced by the animals, there is also

two volunteers sat on a stage at a kitch-

tionally raised beef, they described

a perceived environmental benefit to

the cultured patty as dry. The dry-

the technology.

Mark Post (facing), a professor at Maastricht
Univ. in The Netherlands, explains the concept
behind cultured beef during an Aug. 5 taste
test. (Photo courtesy of AP).

ness of the product is associated with
a lack of fat.

Commercial production of cultured beef is at least 10 years to 20

Cultured beef, which also is re-

years away, Post said. There are nu-

ferred to as in vitro beef or test tube

merous hurdles that must be overcome

beef, is made by collecting muscle cells

before products are ready for the con-

from a cow and placing them in a nu-

sumer market.

trient solution to create muscle tissue.

The press event had three goals –

The tissue is grown by placing the

to introduce the cultured beef concept

cells in a ring around a hub of gel. The

to consumers, prove that it is viable,

muscle cells grow into small strands of

and generate interest from parties that

meat, and an estimated 20,000 strands

may be willing to provide capital for

are needed to make one 5-oz. patty.

future research and production. One

The event’s organizers did a mas-

early financial backer referred to often

terful job communicating the safety

during the event and in media cover-

and potential benefits of the technol-

age of the event is Sergey Brin, one of

ogy. The tasting and product review

the co-founders of Google, Inc.

demonstrated the safety of the cul-

After watching so many innovative

tured beef concept, and the lead re-

food and beverage ingredient tech-

searcher on the project made sure it

nologies blasted by wave after wave

was understood the technology is more

of misinformation and unfounded at-

than just another food product.

tacks, it is heartening to see a concept

“What we are going to attempt is
important because I hope it will show

early stages of development. Criticisms

cultured beef has the answers to major

may eventually arise, but for the mo-

problems that the world faces,” said

ment it is clear simple, effective com-

Mark Post, a professor at Maastricht

munication of a concept’s benefits may

Univ. in The Netherlands, who de-

8

like cultured beef be embraced in the

generate a favorable response. ■

• Meat&Poultry • September 2013 • www.MeatPoultry.com
http://www.MeatPoultry.com
Meat&Poultry - September 2013

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Meat&Poultry - September 2013
