Where’s the beef? It’s in the lab.

Plant-based meats have seen a ton of hype and growth recently, with sales up around 25% in the last year.

Part of that stems from issues with the supply chain during Covid-19.

However, another meat alternative is looming in the shadows, waiting to hit the shelves.

Lab-grown meat, also known as cultivated meat, has investors pouring in huge amounts of cash; and it’s not even available to the public yet. 

The cruelty-free process involves small cellular samples that are taken from plants and animals and then grown in a laboratory setting. One tissue sample from a cow can yield enough cells to make over 80,000 burgers. 

Lab meat has been around for a few years, but the problem always lay in the price. Back in 2013, the first-ever lab burger was introduced…with a $300,000 dollar price tag. Yikes. 

However, times are a-changing and one company says the price could be down to $10 bucks a pound by 2022.  

Right now, there are around 35 companies participating in the race to get lab-grown protein on supermarket shelves. 

One company recently held a semi-public tasting for their lab-grown bacon. 

Some people find the thought of meat grown in a lab a little disconcerting.

However, if you really think about where your beef burger comes from, it’s pretty clear that cultured meats are far less worrisome.