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We Tried Cultivated Meat, and It's Tasty

A few startups are making cultivated meat, which is created in a lab using stem cells. Sophia Fox-Sowell goes on a tasting spree to see what the hype's about.

stephen-beacham
stephen-beacham
Stephen Beacham Senior Video Producer
Stephen Beacham is an award-winning video producer focusing on How-To videos and environmental tech news and sustainability. Stephen comes from an audio production background and began his career interning for rock legends, Green Day, during the production of their Grammy Award winning album 'American Idiot'. He began his online video career as an audio engineer for Gamespot.com which ultimately led him to CNET. Stephen has won 3 Telly Awards for CNET.com in the Green/Eco Friendly and How-To categories and he was nominated for 2 Webby Awards as a producer. Check out more of Stephen's video and podcast work here at CNET.com.
Expertise Adobe Premiere Pro, Adobe Creative Suite, Pro Tools, Vmix, NewTek TriCaster, Credentials
  • Silver Telly Award Winner for Best Sustainability Video 2021, Silver Telly Award Winner for Best How-To/DIY 2020, Bronze Telly Award Winner for Best Green / Eco Friendly Video 2019, Nominated for a 2021 Webby Award for Best Limited Series Audio Podcast,

Plant-based meats fill a need for people who want an alternative to animal products. Cultivated meat is different: It actually comes from an animal. 

Cole Cook

Cultivated meat uses stem cells from animals to produce a dish that looks, tastes and cooks like real meat. This production process allows for many types of cultivation, including 3D printing a steak. Star Trek's replicator could be making its debut sooner than we think. 

But be patient. The three food startups showcased in this video don't have food products for sale to the general public just yet.   

Adoption of cultivated meat could help address the climate crisis by cutting down on methane, a potent greenhouse gas. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, "a single cow can produce as much as 250 pounds of methane gas in a single year. Researchers found that 37% of methane emissions from human activity are the direct result of our livestock and agricultural practices."

Cole Cook

Sophia Fox-Sowell went on a tasting spree, visiting three companies that are working on cultivated meat products. Watch the video and see for yourself if your mouth starts to water.