Memphis Meats Inc., a San Francisco-based company founded by three scientists, has developed a new technique to produce meat from stem cells of animals. Uma S Valeti, an Indian-American cardiologist, is the CEO and one of the co-founders of Memphis Meats.
According Uma Valeti, the meat is sustainable, healthier, safer, and cruelty free. It does not lead to any side effects like bacterial contamination or high saturated fat. Additionally, the technique produces 90 percent less greenhouse emissions and does not require antibiotics as used in traditional meat production.
For the production, the team identifies cells that are capable of renewing themselves, from a targeted animal. These cells are then provided with oxygen and nutrients like sugar, minerals, etc. while they develop inside bio-reactor tanks into skeletal muscle and can be harvested in nine to 21 days. The team is currently working on beef, chicken and pork cells, and have already conducted test runs on beef meat.