Frigid temperatures this weekend prompt cold weather advisories

MPR News helps you turn down the noise and build shared understanding. Turn up your support for this public resource and keep trusted journalism accessible to all. 

Turn Up Your Support

If the idea of synthetic meat creeps you out, don't worry: You won't be eating it anytime soon.

Synthetic meat is different from the plant-based substitutes available in grocery stores and on restaurant menus right now. Guests on The Daily Circuit explained that the more futuristic synthetics, such as meat grown in vitro, remain a distant prospect.

"In vitro meat is a long way from the market," said journalist Ariel Schwartz. "Right now, in vitro meat is incredibly expensive. The burger that was created in the lab a couple of months ago — that cost $325,000. To make one burger."

Eventually, however, "there might not be that much of a choice" but to switch to some form of alternative, she said. "Simply because the population is rising, and land prices are increasing, and everybody won't be able to eat as much meat and eggs as they want every single day. They won't be able to afford it."

"People are thinking toward the future," she said, "and thinking, 'Is it really sustainable for us to eat so much animal protein?' But I think there are also other considerations. There are animal welfare considerations. I know a lot of especially millennials, they turn to vegetarianism and veganism because of the inhumane aspect of large-scale animal production. But in addition to that, there's also this health and wellness driver for it."

The Dietary Requirements of a Star Fleet Officer

The world's first lab-grown hamburger was funded by Google co-founder Sergey Brin.

Meet the new meat | Mark Post | TEDxHaarlem

Business and Economic News

Corporations are working on meat that never clucked or mooed.

Synthetic burgers? That food's not fast

Go Deeper.

Like this?