An Australian startup, Vow, has introduced a lab-grown meatball made using the genetic sequence of an extinct woolly mammoth. The meatball was unveiled at the Nemo Science Museum in Amsterdam a few days before April Fool’s Day to promote the use of cultured meat as a more sustainable alternative to conventional meat.
How the Mammoth Meatball Was Made
The mammoth gene called myoglobin, responsible for the aroma, colour, and taste, was inserted into sheep cells, while African elephant DNA filled in gaps in the mammoth’s DNA. The meatball’s protein is 4,000 years old.
Vow used publicly available genetic information from the mammoth to create the meatball which has not been tasted yet. The company is planning to put it through rigorous testing before bringing it to market.
Lab-Grown Meat Gaining Traction
Cultivated or cell-based meat is made from animal cells and requires no animals to be killed for production. More than 100 companies around the world, including Vow, are working on cultivated meat products.
The technology could vastly reduce the environmental impact of global meat production and free up land for less intensive farming practices. With projected increases in meat consumption by over 70% by 2050, scientists are exploring alternatives such as plant-based meats and lab-grown meat.
Mammoth Meatball Not Commercially Viable
The mammoth meatball was not created as a commercial product but rather as a source of protein that would get people talking about the future of food. While it may not appear on store shelves anytime soon, Vow is experimenting with mixing and matching cells from various animals to create additional alternatives to conventional meats.
Vow founder Tim Noakesmith revealed that the mammoth meatball is more about exploring possibilities for what people can eat than developing a prehistoric protein. The meatball was glazed for the journey from Sydney to Amsterdam, and its aroma was described as being similar to that of crocodile meat, which had been used in a previous prototype.
Legal Hurdles Remain
While tiny Singapore is the only country to have approved cell-based meat for consumption, cultivated meat is not yet regulated in the European Union. If widely adopted, this technology could revolutionize the meat industry and promote more sustainable food options.
In conclusion, Vow’s mammoth meatball serves as an impressive demonstration of what is possible with cultured meat while highlighting its potential environmental benefits. As more companies invest in this technology, we can hope for more eco-friendly alternatives to conventional meats on our plates in the near future.
Image Source: Wikimedia Commons
