Australian cultivated meat company, Magic Valley, has created a lamb prototype using new technology that ensures its product is free from animal byproducts.
The process used by Magic Valley involves taking skin cells from a lamb and turning them into stem cells called induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS). These iPS cells can grow in an unlimited and scalable way and can also be made into muscle and fat – the main components of meat.
This is the first time this technology has been used for a cultivated lamb product, world-wide.
Australia’s largest cultivated meat company, Vow, also steers clear of animal products, however it is focusing on other animal species, including quail, which is expected to launch in Singapore this year.
Other cultivated meat companies often use foetal bovine serum – a byproduct of the slaughter process – to grow cells, however the process adopted by Magic Valley means (other than the initial skin scraping) animals are not used at all in the production process.
The Magic Valley prototype has been created in the form of burgers and tacos, and according to a company statement, “looks and cooks just like real lamb, yet has the potential for an even healthier nutritional profile, showcasing what is possible for the future of cultivated meat products.”
Magic Valley founder and CEO Paul Bevan, said cultivated meat will soon be an essential component in feeding the world’s growing population.
“By 2024, cultivated meat products will be indistinguishable from traditionally farmed meat, with the ability to enhance nutrients to positively impact the human population,” he said.
“With the global population predicted to reach 10 billion people by 2050, the traditional methods of animal agriculture are simply inadequate to meet the protein needs of our future generations.”
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