Lab-grown meat is on the rise — here's how it is made

Lab-grown food is being hailed by proponents as the answer to some of the negative aspects that come along with modern agriculture and food production — from the poor treatment of animals to the emission of greenhouse gases.

Cell-cultivated products refer to foods that are made from cells of plants or animals.

Cells for meat are taken from animal tissue and cultivated in a nutrient-rich solution. These cells grow and are eventually put in a bioreactor, which are effectively huge tanks that help to speed up cell growth. Eventually, the cells are separated into muscle, fat and connective tissues, the three main components of meat.

Then, a process called "scaffolding" is carried out. This is the process of trying to turn the cells into something that resembles food, like a steak or burger.

Lab-grown food is being looked at as a way to reduce the pollution caused by food production. Various estimates suggest around 25% to 30% of global emissions come from food systems.

Meanwhile, lab-grown meat can be produced without having to raise and slaughter animals, which proponents say is a positive.

Mark Post and his team at Maastricht University were the first to produce a lab-grown burger in 2013.

Some of the challenges include scaling the production of lab-grown meat, the current high prices of the products and consumer acceptance.

Regulators globally are getting on board with the idea of lab-grown food. Singapore was the first country to approve cultured meat for human consumption in 2020. U.K. regulators approved the use of lab-grown meat in pet food this year.

Watch the video above to learn more how lab-grown food is made.