In late June, two companies were given permits to sell chicken meat that has been grown in a lab. The companies say they will be serving the meat in restaurants this summer.
Unlike normal chicken meat, lab-grown meat isn’t created by raising and killing chickens. Instead, it’s a meat product developed from animal cells that are grow n in a lab. The process is called “cell-based” or “cultured” meat.
The process of creating lab-grown meat is completely different from the normal meat raising process. Scientists have known for a long time how to keep living cells alive and grow them in a lab. In this case, experts choose cells that can grow quickly and will have good flavour. The first cells come from live animals. Then the cells are grown inside large steel tanks, where they’re fed with everything they need to grow. In a few weeks, the cells grow into sheets of meat. The companies then form this meat into more familiar shapes that can be cooked and sold.
The companies say that their meat is better for the environment than meat from animals. Raising animals for food uses huge amounts of land and water. It also creates a lot of pollution. Raising animals for food create s about 15% of the world’s greenhouse gases. That’s why cutting back on eating meat is one of the easiest ways to fight climate change.
There are many companies these days that focus on making plant-based meat substitutes (替代物). But since lab-grown meat is made from animal cells, it is very hard to tell it apart from actual meat. It looks, smells, and tastes like chicken.
Polls (民意调查) have shown that many people aren’t too interested in lab-grown meat. Lots of people believe that “it just sounds strange”. But Russel Phillips, a biologist, suggests people give it a try. He says that once people try the meat, they will be amazed. The common response must be, “Oh, it tastes like chicken.”
But right now, the meat is far more expensive than meat from animals. Now that the companies have been approved, they have the huge challenge of figuring out how to make much more meat far more cheaply. It will probably be a long time before you’re able to buy lab-grown chicken in stores.
【小题1】To produce lab-grown meat, the companies should________.| A．study how to feed live animals. | B．decide where to store meat products. |
| C．add different flavours to sheets of meat. | D．select cells suitable for producing meat. |
| A．future. | B．advantage. | C．techniques. | D．process. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Worried. | C．Supportive. | D．Uninterested. |
| A．quality. | B．safety. | C．price. | D．taste. |
