cellular agriculture

This is the name for the new industry which is about to deliver us our beef steaks and fish fillets as cell-based products.  That is to say, instead of grazing cattle so that they can be killed and cut up into steaks, we just produce steaks in the laboratory from cells obtained from the cattle.  The players in the traditional agriculture industry will want this new animal-protein product to be distinguished from their offerings, so we will get used to the identifier cell-based in front of whatever the item: so cell-based rissoles, cell-based cheese. They are distinguished from plant-based products which can be traditional (steaks made from soy beans) or innovative (products derived from plant protein with the addition of other plant-based substances to give texture and flavour). Plant-based mince and plant-based chicken burgers are products which are being advertised now.

 Apparently it will not be long before these products are available commercially. This will please those who don’t wish to kill and eat other animals, but it will also please those who wish to save the planet.  Traditional agriculture is responsible for a large percentage of emissions into the atmosphere.