It is a Dutch invention, cultured meat. More than ten years ago, the first cultured hamburger was presented with a price tag of 250,000 euros. More than ten years after that presentation, it will soon happen: the taste of cultured meat and fish can be tasted during the first tastings.
To date, testing cultured meat – meat made in a laboratory from stem cells of real animals – is strictly prohibited.
Many demands
The exact location of these tastings is still unknown, probably in a restaurant kitchen. The tasting will initially be awarded to a select group of people, such as chefs, food experts and scientists. More tastings are expected later this year, also for ‘ordinary’ people.
Four companies that develop the meat are eligible. Meatable from Leiden was the first company to register. A special independent committee – consisting of a toxicologist, microbiologist, doctor and an ethical expert – will closely monitor the process.
Extremely important news
The fact that the tastings are coming is ‘extremely important news’, says Ira van Eelen. She is the daughter of cultured meat pioneer Willem van Eelen and sits on the independent committee that made all the preparations for the tastings on behalf of the cabinet. “The tastings allow us to finally taste the taste of cultured meat. This provides very important information for the companies that make it. Is it tasty? Or does the taste need to be adjusted before we put it on the market? ” This testing is now done via special computer data because it is still strictly prohibited.
The rules surrounding cultured meat are strict in Europe. It was a lot of work to arrange these tastings, says Van Eelen. “In addition to an independent committee, we had to arrange all kinds of practical matters. How are we going to transport the meat? Where are we going to do the tastings? Who is going to assess the meat? What conditions do we impose on the tastings?”
Van Eelen has already eaten cultured meat abroad several times. She recently tasted cultured bacon in America. How did it taste? “If I hadn’t known it was cultured meat, I would have just eaten it like bacon. You can sometimes see it in the structure. It is sometimes different from normal meat.”
When the meat is in the local supermarket? Van Eelen doesn’t know that. “But these tastings will certainly speed up that process. We hope to organize many more so that we develop the best taste and it becomes more and more common for people to eat.”
Because there will still be many people whose mouths do not immediately water when they see sausages or shrimps that have been made in a lab. The costs are also still high because the meat is still very rare. But if more tastings are possible, it will attract more producers to the market. The expectation is that with more production the price will automatically become lower.
What is cultured meat?
Cultured meat is meat made from stem cells from real animals and developed in a laboratory. The creator is doctor Willem van Eelen.
The stem cells are placed in a culture fluid of sugars, amino acids and fats in which they multiply and form muscle fibers. The advantage is that animals no longer have to be killed. Cultured meat is also much more sustainable than regular meat. But it is still much more expensive; because it is still very rare. A sausage costs several hundred euros.
Tasting and sales are now only allowed in a few countries, such as Singapore, America and Israel.
VVD and D66 submitted a motion to allow the tastings. Last summer the cabinet gave the green light for this.
2024-01-25 05:51:12
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