Clean Meat: The new way of growing your Hamburger, may be acceptable to Vegetarians, because you are no longer killing an animal for its meat. You are growing its muscle cells in a factory.

How close are we to a hamburger grown in a lab?

The cells "start to divide and start to form new muscle tissues. ... (We) let them proliferate until we have trillions of cells," explained Dr. Mark Post, CEO of Mosa Meats, one of the earliest creators of clean meat. The process of making a hamburger patty takes about nine weeks.

From article, (The latest craze in the food industry, in vitro or "clean" meat, is produced by extracting stem cells from animals and then growing and multiplying those cells in a lab to create a piece of meat.

The cells "start to divide and start to form new muscle tissues. ... (We) let them proliferate until we have trillions of cells," explained Dr. Mark Post, CEO of Mosa Meats, one of the earliest creators of clean meat. The process of making a hamburger patty takes about nine weeks.

The FDA said in a statement, "Given information we have at the time, it seems reasonable to think that cultured meat, if manufactured in accordance with appropriate safety standards and all relevant regulations, could be consumed safely."

Mosa Meat's Post said the lengthy regulatory approval process is one of the reasons it will take a few years before we see the company's products on the market.

When that happens, clean meat might help reduce foodborne illness. "The meat that we produce is by definition sterile," Post said. Most contamination of our current meat supply happens during the slaughter process through cross-contamination with the intestines.

In vitro meat for public consumption may become a reality relatively soon. Tetrick said that "before the end of 2018 is an accurate timeline" for some products to be offered in a number of restaurants in the United States and Asia, starting with chicken nuggets, sausage and foie gras.

Other companies forecast that we're a few years away from seeing clean meat in your local grocery store. Shapiro believes we will see clean meat on store shelves by 2021.

Clean meat will be sold at a premium when it's introduced. Though his first hamburger in 2013 was $330,000, Post claims that when it is offered to the public, it will be "maybe $11 for a hamburger."

Friedrich said clean meat "only totally supplants animal meat when it becomes cheaper."

Clean meat may also be healthier for our waistlines. Clean meat production is about growing and proliferating muscle cells. However, with certain meat products such as hamburgers, fat is an integral part of the taste and texture. 

Clean meat producers can control what type of fat goes into these burgers. Post said they can produce clean meat to contain healthy fats, such as omega-3 fatty acids, which have protective effects for the heart, among other health benefits.

Interestingly, large meat conglomerates are embracing this new technology. Both Tyson Foods and Cargill have invested in Memphis Meats.

Pasture-raised meat producers aren't as enthusiastic about this new direction for the industry.

Rebecca Thistlethwaite, a farmer for the past 10 years, is quick to point out the difference between pasture-raised meat producers and factory farmers. Many grass-fed farmers "think about what consumers want, (which is) healthier, more transparent, less chemicals, less antibiotics, lower environmental footprint," she said.)

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