Artificial meat will save humanity from starvation. artificial food

Lab-grown meat will begin serving California restaurants this year. By 2020, it will become cheaper than usual, and large fast food chains will start switching to it, and then it will come to supermarkets. This was stated by the company JUST, one of the leading developers of "test-tube meat". This is what Bill Gates, Sergey Brin, Richard Branson and many other technology investors are counting on.

Appetizing?

In 2008, the production of a 250-gram piece of beef in the laboratory cost $1 million. In 2013, a burger grown in London for the sake of an experiment cost $325,000. Now its price has dropped to $11. In the next few years, artificial meat is guaranteed to become cheaper than natural. Why do we need it, how do scientists grow Meat 2.0, what does it taste like and why this technology will change our world.

What's wrong with today's meat?

Pork, beef, chicken. Delicious and natural products that we are used to. But, unfortunately, this cannot go on for long.

The first and main reason is global warming. One cow “releases” from 70 to 120 kg of methane per year. Methane is one of the greenhouse gases, as is carbon dioxide (CO2). But its negative impact on the climate is 23 times stronger. That is, 100 kg of methane from a cow is the equivalent of 2300 kg of carbon dioxide. This is approximately 1000 liters of gasoline. With a car that consumes 8 liters per 100 km, you can drive 12,500 km every year, and only then will you equal the impact on the climate with one cow, quietly chewing grass on the farm. In addition, there are much more cows and bulls in the world than cars. According to the latest estimates, 1.5 billion versus 1.2 billion.

Of course, in total, transport in the world contributes to global warming more than peaceful heifers. One container ship or cruise liner "floats" like 80-150 thousand cars. But the influence of livestock cannot be underestimated. For every 1 kg of beef in the store, the equivalent of 35 kg of carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere. A kilogram of pork is 6.35 kg CO2, a kilogram of chicken is 4.57 kg CO2. It is now estimated that 18% of emissions that contribute to global warming come from pets. No matter how many factories switch to solar energy, no matter how many electric vehicles Elon Musk produces, this factor remains with us.

The problem is that humanity continues to grow. Scientists estimate that by 2050 there will be 9.6 billion of us. Urbanization and the growth of the middle class will lead to an additional increase in the demand for meat. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the world will have to produce 70% more food. And they say that with current technology, this is simply impossible.

How much meat (and eggs) was consumed in 2005 and how much will be consumed in 2050

One of those who hold this opinion is Bill Gates. According to him, if there are more than 9 billion of us, it will simply not be possible to feed all people with natural meat. Over the past few years, he has invested in a dozen lab-grown meat startups. His example was followed by Richard Branson and billionaires from Hong Kong, China and India. In a 2013 post on the future of food on his personal blog, Gates wrote:

Raising animals for meat requires a lot of land and water, and seriously harms our planet. To put it bluntly, we don't have the capacity to feed more than nine billion people. And at the same time, we can't ask everyone to become a vegetarian. Therefore, we must find ways to produce meat without depleting our resources.

The second reason (partially touched upon by Bill Gates) is that farms and pastures for animals take up a lot of space on the planet. So many. 30% of the entire dry surface of the Earth is now reserved for livestock. Often these are pastures on the site of former forests. About 70% of the former forests of the Amazon are now cut down for animal grazing. And on 33% of all arable land, livestock feed is grown. There is less and less room for people and nature.

The third reason is also unprofitable. Meat production is a wildly inefficient process. To make 1 kg of beef, you need to spend more than 38 kg of feed and almost 4 thousand liters of water (including watering corn and soybeans). Cows consume 20 times more food than is needed to eliminate world hunger. And if there are 9.6 billion of us, there will not be enough water for meat production (there is, of course, an option with desalination, but these are additional costs and other problems).

Lab-grown meat already now requires 100 times less land and 5.5 times less water than natural meat, even though the technology has not yet been polished. According to the latest estimates of scientists from Oxford, if we can switch to it, it will reduce greenhouse gas emissions from livestock by 78-96%, reduce energy consumption by 7-45% and save 82%-96% of fresh water (such strong dispersion associated with different types of meat).

The fourth reason to switch to "meat from a test tube" is, of course, a decrease in the number of killings and suffering of animals. For some, this factor seems meaningless, but for some it is the most important. The Animal Rights Organization (PETA) is investing its money in the technology of growing nuggets and steaks. In 2014, she offered a $1 million reward to the first scientist to bring lab-grown chicken to market:

We believe this is an important first step in bringing sustainable, humanely produced real meat into the hands and mouths of those who insist on eating animal flesh.

How meat is made in a test tube

In fact, of course, cultured or "pure" meat (as they are now trying to brand it in the West) is grown not in a test tube, but in a Petri dish or a special container. There are dozens of companies with their own approaches, but in general the process is divided into three stages:

1. First, cells prone to rapid reproduction are collected. These can be embryonic stem cells, adult stem cells, myosatellite cells, or myoblasts. At this point, scientists need an animal (or perfectly preserved cells, but we haven't gotten there yet).

2. Cells are processed by adding proteins that promote tissue growth. Then they are placed in a culture medium, in a bioreactor. It performs the role of blood vessels, supplying the cells with everything they need, and giving them the conditions for growth. The main nutrient of cells is the blood plasma of an animal (most often an embryo). A mixture of sugars, amino acids, vitamins and minerals is added to it. In order for muscle tissue to develop properly, it is grown under pressure, simulating natural conditions. Heat and oxygen are also supplied to the bioreactor. In fact, the cells are not even aware that they are growing outside the animal.

3. To make meat three-dimensional, not flat, laboratories use a kind of "scaffolding". Ideally, they should also be edible, and periodically move, stretching the developing muscle tissue, imitating the movements of a real body. So far, this stage is not being concentrated, but everyone agrees that without it, the creation of any plausible meat is impossible. Neither the consistency nor the texture of the mass, calmly developing in a Petri dish, will deceive the modern eater.

It is not yet possible to completely free animals from work, as we see. Both at the first and at the second stage, elements from the real body are still needed. But theoretically, it will soon be possible to do without it. Stem cells - to clone or grow separately, and blood plasma - to find a substitute. Scientists say that under ideal conditions, in two months of growing cultured meat, 50,000 tons of product can be obtained from 10 pig cells.

But those who call this meat “clean” are a little disingenuous. Growing it requires preservatives like sodium benzoate to protect the meat from fungus. Collagen powder, xanthan, mannitol and so on are also used at different stages. If you're worried that "farm animals are being fed antibiotics and all sorts of chemicals," with the advent of meat from laboratories, your fears will increase.

However, according to the development companies, cultured meat has one advantage over a natural product. It may be useful for the waist. With some meats, like steaks, fat is an important part of the texture and flavor. Firms that "grow" muscle cells can control what type of fat grows with their meat. They can only allow healthy fats to develop, such as omega-3 unsaturated fatty acids, which improve heart function and speed up metabolism.

The first goal is foie gras

There is one food that is easy to compete with. The liver of an overfed goose or duck is one of the most expensive types of meat. At $50 a pound, more than $110 a kg! With such a price, the "test-tube" product already seems to be a profitable alternative. Growing goose or duck liver in the lab is no more difficult than growing chicken nuggets, and the profits are far greater.

Experiments with foie gras are now being carried out by JUST (formerly Hampton Creek). The goal is to begin deliveries to American restaurants this year. The company has a history of launching successful products on the market. Her portfolio includes egg-free mayonnaise and chocolate chips, popular with vegans.

Animal rights activists have long opposed the methods by which foie gras is made. Geese and ducks on farms are forcibly stuffed with a tube of food down their throats and fed until they can't walk. Their metabolic process is disrupted, and the liver, trying to process all this, swells 10 times its normal size.

Feeding at a foie gras farm

The network is full of videos from activists who broke into American farms and secretly filmed the condition of the animals there. The footage of a rat eating a live goose from behind, because it is not able to protect itself, made a special noise (I don’t want to paint the details, those who want to delve into the topic can still find the video on YouTube). After the scandal erupted, California banned the production and sale of foie gras on its territory. For local delicacy lovers, lab-grown foie gras will be a chance to legally purchase the product without crossing state lines. And supporters of the humane treatment of animals will be able to sleep peacefully. The JUST team only needs one donor goose, and rats are definitely not allowed near it.

There is only one, ma-scarlet problem. Gourmets willing to give any money for their foie gras are almost impossible to convince. They have a subtle taste (or at least they think so), and they don't want to compromise. It is easier for them to go to the black market or spend half a day going for their favorite liver. And the fact that laboratory meat saves them a couple of hundred dollars is not a factor at all. JUST, MosaMeat and other labs say they don't really count on these clients. It is more important for them that every new customer who decides to try foie gras should go to buy their product first.

Foie gras from the laboratory

The main difficulty is that the product from the laboratories must be exactly like the meat we are used to. MosaMeat CEO Peter Versteith says:

When they taste the product, they should have the impression that it is meat. Not "it looks like mint" or "it looks like meat", it just has to be meat. This is the main difficulty.

Roughly speaking, the effect of the "uncanny valley" works here. You know when in movies or games it's easier to accept something completely new, or something obviously fake, than a beautiful 99% human CGI? We have become very good at distinguishing this 1% because we encounter people's faces on a daily basis. An attempt to accurately reflect a real person can achieve the opposite effect - it will seem to us that this is some kind of scary robot or alien wearing human skin.

With artificial meat - the same story. Roughly speaking, if the taste is completely unfamiliar to you, the brain says “Oh, this is something new.” And if the taste is 99% similar, but there is some difference, the brain has a different reaction - “I know what it is, but something is wrong with it.” A signal is being sent to us - poison, poison! It tastes bad, you want to spit it out, some may even feel sick. And if your food makes some people sick, that's a big problem.

laboratory meat

Developers of meat from a bioreactor are now fighting for the last 1% of "similarity". The main problem is the texture. Meat that has grown on bone has muscle and fat in a specific consistency that is very hard to replicate. Therefore, a grown steak is still a few years away. But burgers and nuggets are already being made, and there are no special complaints about their taste.

This is still far away

In May 2013, the first cultured meat burger was made in London. It consisted of 20,000 thin strips of muscle tissue and cost $ 325,000, which came from an anonymous patron (later it turned out that it was Sergey Brin). After tasting the burger, culinary expert Hanni Rutzler gave her assessment:

It has a very strong flavor, even when roasted. I know that there is no fat here and it is not as juicy as I would like, but the taste is very intense, it hits the receptors. If we were blindly judging the taste, I would say that this product is closer to the meat than the soy copy.

The developments of 2018 taste even more like natural meat. And their price is much more adequate - from $11.36 per kg (some firms still put up price tags of $1000-$2400, but their prices are also rapidly going down). Paul Shapiro, best-selling author of Clean Meat: How Animal-Free Meat Farming Will Revolutionize Dining and the World, sampled the latest lab versions of beef, chicken, fish, duck, foie gras and chorizo ​​(Spanish pork sausages). According to him,

They taste just like meat, because that's what meat is.

But not everyone has such progressive views yet. In a 2014 study, 80% of Americans said they weren't ready to eat lab-grown meat. In 2017, only 30% said they were open to including such meat in their diet, and sometimes eating it instead of the traditional one. Among those who are against all these "experiments of mad scientists", the nickname has even stuck to the product. It is pejoratively referred to as "franken meat".

Does it look real?

Proponents of cultured meat and the companies that develop it believe that time is on their side. Paul Shapiro says:

Look at examples of history. Previously, ice was mined on the lake, and massive pieces were taken for sale. Now we get ice in the comfort of our kitchen. We call it a "freezer", and we do not see anything artificial in it. Ice cream, yogurt, beer, it's all changed thanks to technology. We must accept that it will be the same with meat. We have no other way.

A piece of beef weighing about 140 grams in the laboratory of the University of Maastricht (Netherlands) was raised by Professor Mark Post. The project was financed in the amount of 250,000 euros by Sergey Brin, an American entrepreneur and scientist in the field of computer technology, information technology, co-founder of the Google Internet Corporation and one of the investors of Space Adventures, which organizes flights of space tourists to the ISS. Brin cites the cruel treatment of cows on farms as one of the reasons for his interest in growing artificial meat. In addition, he has no doubt that the future is with new technology; according to him, it will transform the world and benefit the environment. Professor Post, in turn, explains: keeping artiodactyl ruminants is extremely inefficient. For every 15 grams of animal protein that a person receives from cows, 100 grams of vegetable protein is consumed. As a result, pastures occupy about 30% of the planet's usable area, while agricultural land, which supplies people with food, accounts for only 4%. In addition, cows emit a lot of methane, which is harmful to the environment. And finally, according to scientists, by 2060 the population on Earth will increase from the current 7 billion to 9.5 billion people, and the demand for meat will double by this time. Therefore, only the creation of an alternative food technology can save humanity from hunger. Modern research into artificial meat originated from experiments at NASA trying to find better ways of long-term nutrition for astronauts in space. The method was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1995. The experiments were carried out by many scientists, but so far no one was ready to bring their results to the judgment and taste of the ordinary consumer. Professor Post's research began with the synthesis of mouse meat, then pigs became the raw material for the experiment, and, ultimately, the protein fibers for a serving of artificial meat were grown from cow stem cells. The tasting of the revolutionary treat took place in London as a press conference. A cutlet was prepared from artificial meat with the addition of egg powder, salt and breadcrumbs. In addition, saffron and beetroot juice were used to give the "test-tube meat" a more natural color. One of the volunteer tasters, nutritionist Hanni Rützler, noted that although the cutlet tastes like meat, it is much less juicy. The second taster, professional food critic Josh Schonwald, agreed that the texture of the product is similar to meat, but it is the absence of fat that creates a different taste from beef. Mark Post believes that the taste deficiencies of artificial meat will be possible to eliminate within the next 10 years, after which "meat from a test tube" will be able to enter the shelves.

“Meat in a test tube” is a product that has never been part of a living, full-fledged organism. Modern research projects are working on the creation of experimental meat samples in order to establish its industrial production in the near future. In the future, the creation of a full-fledged cultured muscle tissue, which will also solve the ethical side of the issue, and provide food to the regions in need. The resulting meat cannot be considered vegetarian as it is animal-based and not plant-based (soy/wheat) protein.

Now the cultivation of meat is expensive. In the future, when the technology is mastered by food concerns, the cost of the product will not exceed the usual price.

What do you need to know about the product of the future, how does it differ from ordinary meat, and at what stage is modern research?

How it all started

Industrial meat production raises not only ethical but also environmental issues. Moreover, finding a quality meat product on the shelves is a very difficult task. Manufacturers often use antibiotics and hormones in their production, which cast doubt on the benefits and safety of the finished product. The maintenance of livestock and the industrial production of meat products affects the production of greenhouse gases, the consumption of fresh water, the rational distribution of territories - and this is not an exhaustive list.

Forage pastures and fields for industrial livestock occupy 30% of the useful land of the entire planet, and vegetable gardens/gardens/greenhouses and fields occupy only 4-5%.

We will have to solve global problems with ecology and meat quality in the coming years. Today, there are only 2 ways: the creation of meat based on vegetable ( / /) or animal protein.

One of the great solutions to the problem was found by the American company Beyond Meat. They were the first to produce plant-based protein-based patties that are equal in taste and nutritional value to natural meat. The cutlets also "sear" when frying and are absolutely identical in taste /chicken/. The only caveat is that the cutlets have a recognizable vegetable smell.

The modern food industry is more interested in meat from animal protein. Since the vegetable-based ingredient is considered to be “imitation meat”, and the product grown in a test tube will be absolutely identical to an organic cut of meat.

Product creation technology

Meat is the muscle tissue of an animal. To create a product in vitro, you need to get the same muscle cells of the animal. For these cells to grow into a large juicy cut, you need. Animal cells are extracted only once, in the future they will not be required - the synthesis of the already existing material will occur.

The modern technological base provides for only 2 options for the development of meat in vitro:

• the formation of a set of muscle cells that are not initially connected with each other;
• the formation of a whole structure of muscles that are already connected and are in a certain dependence.

The second way is much more difficult than the first. Why? The muscles of any living organism consist of muscle fibers - these are long cells, inside of which several nuclei are concentrated. These cells cannot divide on their own. Muscle fibers are only formed when progenitor cells fuse with each other to form a new structure. Both satellite cells and embryonic stem cells can connect. In theory, these cells can be placed in a special container, mixed and a new structural unit created, but this is only possible in theory. In order for a muscle to grow, it is necessary to calculate its location, blood supply, oxygen supply, waste disposal and other nuances. Moreover, for the normal development of muscle tissue, it will be necessary to grow several more groups of cells that will support it and promote development. Muscle fibers cannot just be stretched or forced to develop to the desired size and condition, so the process requires tremendous effort, time and material resources.

In 2001, dermatologist Viet Vesterhov, physician Willem van Eilen and businessman Willem van Kooten filed a patent for the production of meat in test tubes. Their technology involved the creation of a biological matrix into which muscle fibers would independently introduce collagen. Then the cells will be flooded with a nutrient solution and literally forced to multiply. Following a group of scientists, the American John Wayne also received a patent. He also grew muscle and adipose tissue in an integrated manner. In two cases, it was possible to create food products that were identical to chicken, beef and fish.

There is a misconception that genetic engineering is used to produce meat. In fact, the natural cells from which the cut is formed grow exactly to the same extent as the genetically modified ones.

Memphis Meats has launched a unique start-up to develop synthetic chicken meat. It was this company that first grew chicken meat in the laboratory. Scientists decided to recreate the chicken nugget not from the thigh of an animal, but from an ordinary test tube, which they successfully succeeded. Technically, nuggets can be called meat because they are made from animal stem cells. But the process of growing and shaping the product turned out to be cleaner and more economical. Synthetic chicken Memphis Meats has fully satisfied environmentalists, vegetarians, large industrial concerns and ordinary inhabitants.

The head of the company, Uma Valeti, decided to release the nuggets under the name "Pure Meat", which symbolizes the way they are created. Uma argues that large industrial companies are seriously interested in laboratory meat. The production of natural chicken/beef/pork is becoming more costly and inefficient every year. Memphis Meats nuggets now cost around $1,000. The faster the technology spreads around the world, the cheaper the final cost of the product will be.

Problems of scientific research

The direction, which specializes in the cultivation of meat products, has developed from the field of biotechnology, or rather, tissue engineering. The direction is developing simultaneously with other industries that are associated with biotechnology. The main obstacle faced by scientists is the reduction in the cost of the finished product. But that's not all, the full list includes:

1. The rate of reproduction of muscle cells. Scientists have long been able to divide stem cells, but for the industrial production of meat it is necessary that they divide much faster.
2. Culture of the biological environment. The environment in which cells will develop is different for each individual organism. For example, fish and sheep need a completely different nutrient medium. In order to establish mass production, it is necessary to determine and test the nutrient media for all livestock.
3. Ecology. The issue is still vague and poorly understood.
4. Welfare of livestock. The biological material that is necessary for the development of muscle tissue must be synthesized without animals, otherwise there is absolutely no point in artificial meat. An exception is a one-time collection of material for obtaining stem cells.
5. cell integrity. To get a high-quality cut from muscle cells, oxygen and nutrients are needed. In the body of a living animal, this is done by blood vessels. Scientists have created a special matrix that fills the cells and promotes their growth. But the search for the most efficient bioreactor is still ongoing.
6. Human safety. There is a possibility that synthetic meat will become an aggressive allergen for some consumer groups. Even the plant environment in which the cell will develop can cause an allergy.

What is the difference between artificial meat and regular meat?

Taste

It is almost impossible to distinguish a cultured steak from a natural one. Regardless of the characteristics of the cut, synthetic meat is absolutely identical to the usual one. Its appearance also does not raise questions. The only non-critical difference is the texture. Test-tube meat is softer and more tender than natural meat, but this is more of an advantage than a disadvantage.

Consumers claim that the characteristics of cultured meat are completely identical to the thawed cut. It marinates poorly and absorbs a variety of flavors, but is great for eating and creating versatile dishes.

An incident happened to the Whole Foods network, which sells both vegetable (based on vegetable protein) and natural meat. Workers accidentally packaged ready-made artificial chicken meat in packaging for natural. In the weeks that consumers have been purchasing test-tube meat instead of regular meat, the company has not received a single complaint or question. Consumers simply did not notice the substitution, which means that synthetic meat is quite edible.

Quality

Scientists admit that the production of an artificial product on an industrial scale will entail an increase in chemical additives and artificial hormones. Note that in the production of natural cuts, such measures are excluded. Moreover, there is still no precise plan for the development of commercial meat production without the use of antibiotics. Antibiotics are needed to prevent infections and block possible pathogens. Without their use, there is a high risk of infection through food.

Test-tube meat still hasn't made it to the market for two reasons:

• unfinished technology;
• high cost.

The main goal of scientists is to create a product that will be of higher quality and more useful than what is already on the market, so there is no need to rush with the launch. The first thing to decide is the percentage. In a natural cut, there is a high concentration, which leads to an increase in the level of harmful, obesity, diseases of the heart and blood vessels. In artificial meat, the issue of fat must be resolved or reduced to the minimum possible. Scientists are considering the idea of ​​artificial introduction during cultivation. This idea is analogous to feeding animals special nutritious foods based on vitamins, beneficial nutrients and fatty acids prior to slaughter.

Ecology

The environmental friendliness of artificial meat caused a wave of discussion. For example, journalist Brendan Corner and a number of synthetic patent holders believe they are protecting the environment. The production of synthetic meat requires fewer resources, minimal greenhouse gas emissions, and generates virtually no waste.

The Union of Concerned Scientists has its own opinion on this matter. Margaret Mellon, one of the representatives of the union, believes that the industrial production of artificial meat cuts will require much more energy and fuel than traditional technologies. She believes that the new method will be destructive and lead to a residual collapse of the ecological balance.

It is impossible to determine exactly which side the truth is on. In 2011, a study was conducted, according to which the production of synthetic meat requires:

• 7-45% less energy;
• 99% less industrial land;
• 82% less fluid reserves;
• creates 78% less greenhouse gas emissions.

But at the time of the study, there were no industrial production technologies. And the experiments were based on a hypothetical production process.

economy

Today, while synthetic meat is not on the shelves, its cost is high: about $ 1 million per 250 grams of artificial beef. To equate this exorbitant cost with the real market value requires investment and widespread use of technology. Technological advances can also reduce costs. As soon as the technologies for growing muscle tissue are improved and optimized, the cost of meat will fall sharply.

Most laboratory methods for growing meat use animal cells derived from blood serum. Muscles are formed from the cells in the bioreactor, which becomes the basis of the meat. However, the cost of such technology did not allow the release of artificial meat on the market and the scale of production.

In 2013, biologist Mark Post of the University of Maastricht created the world's first test-tube-grown meat burger. The production of the product cost $325,000. The development of technology has reduced this price many times over, and today a kilogram of artificial meat costs $80, and one burger costs $11. Thus, in four years, the price has decreased by almost 30,000 times. However, scientists still have work to do. As of November 2016, a pound of ground beef cost $3.60, almost 10 times cheaper than test-tube meat. However, scientists and creators of "meat" startups believe that through artificial meatballs and hamburgers they will be sold in stores at a reasonable price.

Israeli startup SuperMeat cultivates kosher chicken liver, American company Clara Foods synthesizes egg whites, and Perfect Day Foods creates non-animal dairy products. Finally, Mosa Meat, the creator of the first artificial meat burger Mark Post, promises to start selling laboratory beef in the next 4-5 years.

Commercial animal husbandry causes great harm to the environment. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it takes 2,500 liters of water to produce one hamburger, and cows are considered the main source of methane, which contributes to the greenhouse effect. Laboratory meat, even using animal cells, will significantly reduce the harmful impact on the environment. One turkey can produce enough cells to produce 20 trillion nuggets.

Hannah Tuomisto, an agroecologist at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, estimates that laboratory beef production will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 90% and land use by 99%. Carolyn Mattik of the University of Arizona, on the contrary, believes that artificial production will do more harm to the environment. According to her calculations, the creation in laboratories of chicken meat with all the necessary nutrients will require more energy than raising chickens.

No sooner had humanity tasted real space food in tubes - the dream of every child who wants to become an astronaut, as scientists shocked with new news: soon there will not be a single vegetarian on Earth. Thanks to the latest developments of great minds, soon we will not have to kill animals for a piece of meat, the world will get rid of hunger. While artificial meat is growing in test tubes, you can try which is sold in many stores. The history of human development - food in tubes and meat grown in a test tube, we will tell in today's article.

The evolution of the tube

Today it is associated with a tube, and many kids, squeezing toothpaste onto a brush, imagine themselves conquerors of the boundless space surrounding all the planets. It is in tubes that you can buy borscht or a main course in order to arrange a themed space dinner for the family in the evening, but real astronauts have almost forgotten about aluminum tubes, and now they eat food packed in vacuum "dishes", tin cans.

The first tubes for storing food were invented in Estonia, where since 1964 any housewife could buy berry jelly in such a package, and the family applied a treat to a bun with great convenience. It turned out that the standards of the tubes manufactured by the Baltic Chemical Combine fully complied not only with the standards of this country, but also with space ones. That is why Estonia has become the largest contractor producing food packaging for space explorers.

The too narrow neck of the tube did not allow the astronauts to eat comfortably, as pieces of food simply got stuck in it, and in 1970 the Tiraspol plant was able to "fit" the neck to a more convenient size, expanding it by 2 millimeters, which turned out to be quite enough for space food to become more like homemade, with pieces of meat and vegetables.

In 1982, scientists again slightly modified the packaging for space food. began to be placed in special bags, where hot water was poured before use to make the food warm.

Why can't you eat hamburgers in space?

The first people who tried to eat in space differently than representatives of other countries were astronauts from the United States. Initially, the diet was represented by dried products, which were filled with water before use. Such food did not suit everyone, and the conquerors of space secretly brought normal food to the ship. So many people remember the incident that happened to astronaut John Young, who carried a real sandwich on board. In zero gravity conditions, it turned out to be impossible to eat this dish, the bun scattered into small crumbs throughout the ship, and throughout the entire further flight, the life of the crew turned into a real nightmare.

By the 1980s, tube food had become the only option for adequate nutrition for astronauts, and had over three hundred items on its menu. Today it is not so extensive, the number of dishes offered has almost halved.

What do Russian cosmonauts eat today?

Nowadays, food in tubes has almost completely lost its relevance. Dishes are packed in special vacuum packaging, and the food is freeze-dried before packaging. In this form, it is easier to preserve all the trace elements and vitamins necessary for the body, the taste of freshly prepared food, its original appearance, and such products are stored at any temperature for up to five years. The diet of Russian space explorers includes borscht, mushroom soup, hodgepodge, rice with stewed vegetables, Greek salad and green bean salad, beef tongue, poultry, beef and pork, entrecote, scrambled eggs with chicken liver, bread that cannot crumble, cottage cheese , and many other dishes. By the way, only Russian scientists have managed to adapt cottage cheese to a long stay in space, and our cosmonauts are happy to share this product with their foreign colleagues.

It is worth noting that the daily food of one cosmonaut costs the state 20 thousand rubles. This price does not depend on the products and packaging techniques, the high cost of food is justified by the delivery of products on board, which costs 7 thousand dollars per kilogram of cargo.

Food for American astronauts

Unlike Russian cosmonauts, who do not have microwave ovens on board and can boast of having such necessary equipment. As a result, their diet is more varied. They can afford semi-finished products. Otherwise, the dishes are similar, just like the Russians, American colleagues eat freeze-dried foods. The specificity of the nutrition of astronauts from the United States is a large amount of citrus fruits, while our guys prefer grapes and apples.

Other countries

Even in space, the Japanese cannot do without traditional sushi, a variety of green teas, noodle soup and soy sauce.

Chinese astronauts eat food that is closer to what we are used to. The basis of their diet is rice, pork and chicken.

The French can boast of the most exotic dishes. They always have truffles and cheese on board. There was a case when a French cosmonaut was refused to bring moldy cheese onto the ship. Scientists were afraid that this fungus could affect the entire biological environment at the orbital station.

The future of space lies in artificial meat

Test-tube meat, home-grown vegetables and fruits in the garden on a spaceship - this is the future of space exploration. Scientists have been working for many years on the creation of a ship capable of transporting astronauts to Mars, having traveled a long journey of several years.

But the ship is not the only problem, scientists are also working on creating a real vegetable garden where astronauts can grow vegetables. For several years, tests have been underway to grow artificial meat, which astronauts will also be able to grow on their own so that the food is complete. It is this product that will become the future not only of the space industry, but of all mankind.

Meat without meat

Scientists have learned how to create artificial meat, and this news pleased most people. We are predators by nature, and the body simply needs meat and the substances it contains to function normally. Many people became vegetarians because of their great love for animals, some because of a disease that does not allow them to eat such food, and someone simply cannot afford to eat meat dishes every day, because the budget is small.

All these problems are already being solved, and soon every inhabitant of the planet will be a meat-eater, because not a single animal will suffer during the production of the product, it will be practically harmless, since absolutely all moments are taken into account when growing meat in a test tube.

Who needs it?

Some will ask: "What is all this trouble for? We have grown throughout history real grunts, lowing and clucking, why not continue?". The thing is that humanity is growing at an incredible rate, there will simply not be enough meat for everyone in the near future, and in some countries people are already really starving, since this product is too expensive.

In addition to the fight against hunger, the problem of maintaining slaughterhouses, which prevent animal advocates from sleeping normally at night, will disappear. No sweet creature would ever give up its life to feed a man again.

In addition to animals, growing artificial meat will save many acres of land that will be used to build housing for people, not farms. We will also be able to preserve the environment, which, with global warming, hints that it is time to reduce the flow of harmful substances into the atmosphere. Artificial meat consumes 40% less energy, 98% less land is needed to grow it, 95% less greenhouse gas and methane will be emitted, which lead to global warming, and the consumption of clean water will be significantly reduced.

By 2050, grown artificial meat will become available to everyone, it will be many times cheaper than real meat, and its quantity will satisfy the need for food of all mankind.

History of Test Tube Meat

Winston Churchill said that one day we will raise one chicken to eat only breasts every day, and the bird itself will remain alive, giving once a few cells that will grow in a separate environment. The prophecy of the great president began to come true in 2000, when scientists presented the result of their experiment, growing a small piece of meat from cells taken from a goldfish.

In 2001, NASA began to reflect on the need of astronauts for a long-term and self-renewable source of food, and experiments began on growing turkey meat.

In 2009, scientists from the Netherlands announced that they had succeeded in growing a piece of pork. They presented the result of their work to the discussion of the entire scientific world, and thus were able to find many sponsors who were ready to invest in the development of this industry.

Hamburger with artificial meat

A piece of pork, grown by scientists, was the first success in the field of growing meat in a test tube. It was decided to work further in a given direction, and funding was not long in coming. Wealthy sponsors from all over the world began to invest in development, and they themselves decided to remain in the shadows, not disclosing their names.

Scientist Mark Post took up beef farming and promised that in 2012 he would provide a piece that would be enough to make one hamburger. He just immediately warned that the price of this piece would be exorbitant, and the taste would not be able to match real meat, but this is just the beginning!

Artificial meat from cow stem cells was able to grow to a weight of 140 grams by 2013, and, as promised, the long-awaited hamburger was prepared from it. Only the dish was not put up for auction, but was fed for free to nutritionist Hanni Rutzer in order to get a professional assessment of the finished first artificial meat suitable for food.

The tasting took place in London, and the "experimental" nutritionist delivered his verdict: meat too dry, completely devoid of fat, but quite edible.

The scientists promised that, with continued funding, they would be able to grow juicy, large cuts of meat in a shorter amount of time. They said that they were able to find out the cause of dryness, and they know how to fix the situation for the better. With positive dynamics on store shelves, affordable and good quality artificial meat will appear in 20 years.

How is meat grown in a test tube?

The production of artificial meat is a rather complicated process. Stem cells are taken from the animal and placed in a special container where they will grow. Cells constantly need oxygen, which in a living being is supplied by blood vessels. Here, the vessels are replaced by bioreactors, in which a sponge-matrix is ​​formed (meat grows in it, it is enriched with oxygen, it removes waste).

There are two types of artificial meat: unbound muscle tissue, full-fledged muscle. Scientists are working hard on the second option. The process is complex, since the correct formation of fibers is necessary, and for this the muscle needs to train daily! That is why the growth is still too long.

Difficulties

Initially, cultivated meat will be expensive, and not every company will dare to introduce it into the ranks of the products familiar to people.

There may also be a problem with a person's trust in such a product. There will be many questions about how genetic modifications will affect the health of the body. Not every person will be able to eat artificial meat, as they will be afraid for their condition, although scientists promise that it will be safer than real meat.

It will take quite a long time for people to get used to the innovation, so this industry will develop more slowly than expected.

Farmers are already beginning to worry about their well-being, as they are afraid that "live meat" will no longer be in demand, and they will be left without work.

However, no matter how pessimistic the predictions are, artificial meat is our future, and the future of the entire planet. Let's look forward to tasting a cutlet that didn't require killing an animal to make!