If saving the world means being vegetarian, we might not survive. One in three Czechs die of heart disease, according to the Czech Statistics Office, and men on average eat their weight in meat each year. Both climate and nutritional scientists warn that this type of consumption is unhealthy and unsustainable.
Bene Meat Technologies (BMT) is one of two Czech start-ups researching more sustainable lab-grown meat, a new technology that is attracting scientists and environmentalists worldwide. Mewery, based in Brno, grows pork while BMT focuses on minced beef, each using unique techniques to extend the life of the original cells.
“What I find most attractive about cultured meat is that if you take a biopsy sample from the animal—it doesn’t hurt the animal—and if you culture the meat, you can eat the burger and watch the cow that gave it. you’re the stuffing in the burger,” Prague-based scientist Petra Nevečeřalová from BTM said.
Bene Meat is researching a way to make cells from a cow continue to grow outside the cow by modifying the cell and engineering an environment that promotes natural division. They do this without using the unethical source of fetal bovine serum isolated from the blood of cow fetuses, which has been one of the biggest hurdles to jump.
“We take a small sample of animal tissue, and then we have to create the environment for it to grow in. So we create our own medium which is the liquid in which the cells are cultivated—basically simulated we see the inside of the animal’s body, and this medium contains many nutrients such as minerals, vitamins etc., everything that the cell needs to grow,” explained Dr. No dinner.
Consumers may have reservations about food grown under a microscope: “It might be important somehow from a chemical or industrial point of view, but I feel weird because it’s not natural—like changing what Mother Nature gave us for our benefit. On the other hand, it might be more well controlled from a health point of view,” said Katka, a teacher in Prague.
But by controlling everything that goes into the minced beef, researchers can regulate what comes out of the finished product, according to the BMT scientist.
“Cultivated meat is made in a sterile environment in factories. Because it’s completely controlled, it means it’s free of bacteria and viruses, so it’s cleaner than regular meat. It’s also cleaner when it comes to the environment, cleaner when it comes to hormones and antibiotics (nothing added to the cultivation media), it is cleaner when it comes to ethics,” said Dr. No dinner.
Video of Cultivated PET FOOD from Bene Meat Technologies
Both BMT and Mewery found ways to grow meat by adding plant-based materials without changing the protein structure. The added physical and chemical structures are vegan because the final product must be edible, and the goal is to be cruelty-free to animals, according to the core values of both companies.
Another goal for both start-ups is to reduce the environmental impact that commercial farming has. Meat production is one of the biggest greenhouse gas emitters, land-hoarders, and resource-suckers, according to experts.
Even one day of cutting meat reduces pollution by 15%, saving 1.63 kg of CO2 emissions from meat production and 322 kg of CO2 emissions from habitat destruction, according to The Darwin Challenge metrics for on each day without meat. Cultured meat may have higher cuts.
“Suddenly, we can grow the meat ourselves with less total emissions and land use. So, that’s basically the answer to how to feed humanity without any environmental issues,” said Dr. Nevečeralová added.
Research by the University of California, Davis suggests that more efficient, climate-friendly cattle farming could reduce emissions faster than a scaled-down version of lab meat. The environmental effects of cultured meat are only estimates now, but research on cells indicates other potential benefits, especially in the medical field, according to the study’s lead author.
BTM’s hasn’t ramped up production yet, so they don’t have statistics on emissions, but Dr. agreed. It’s Nevečeřalová “there is deep research on cell influence, and there may be some useful protocols for the future”. At the moment we are not publishing our findings, but this may change in the future,” he said.
Production cost is another factor as it is currently quite expensive, according to the Prague start-up. BMT’s goal is to sell commercially at an estimated price of four to five euros per kilo—a very affordable price compared to the 11-euro grocery store cost.
The timeline for going live on the market is about two years, but this is highly dependent on future legislation. Currently, the EU has strict regulations on genetic modification (GMO) for food produced for humans, which includes the necessary changes made to animal cells that allow them to grow in a petri dish.
Another doubt expressed about cultured meat concerns the regulations that control production.
“I think if people see the results of how this new way of meat helps the planet, what the long-term effects are for people, then they, myself included, will be open to trying it. But My main question is whether it is safe for people to eat long-term and how the creation is handled,” Josefina, a Czech journalism student said.
The European Food Safety Authority is responsible for evaluating new products through a committee procedure where the BMT must first apply in the Czech Republic where the product will first be sold. EU authorization is required to sell any new products on the market.
Luckily for BMT, pet food seems to be more readily available in the market and people are more comfortable with it. So, after applying to the European Feed Materials Register, BMT’s first product to hit the market in 2024 will be dog and cat food, giving skeptics a glimpse of what’s to come.
(Alexa Wandersee assisted with research)
