Mosa Meat Burger: Redefining What It Means to Eat Meat Sustainably
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Deep dive
"We want to serve you a burger that’s just like a regular burger. Mouth-wateringly moist and packed full of flavour, and that looks, smells, and tastes just as good — with the big difference, that no animals were harmed in the making."
Source: mosameat.com
The Science Behind Mosa Meat’s Lab-grown Burger
Mosa Meat is pioneering the growth of beef through an innovative process known as cultured meat production. This method eliminates the need to raise livestock by cultivating animal cells in a lab environment, offering a sustainable alternative to traditional meat production. By leveraging advancements in cellular agriculture, Mosa Meat aims to address the environmental concerns associated with conventional livestock farming while providing high-quality meat products.
Cell Collection and Cultivation
The journey of Mosa Meat's cultivated beef begins with a small biopsy taken from a live cow. This sample contains myosatellite cells, which are essential for muscle growth and regeneration. Once the cells are collected, they are placed in a nutrient-rich culture medium that supplies essential components such as amino acids, vitamins, and minerals. This medium is critical for promoting cell growth and division, allowing the muscle cells to multiply in a controlled environment.
"Lab notes:
0,5 gram sample taken under anaesthesia
Standardized veterinary procedure
Selection of 33.000 myosatellite cells
80.000 burgers from one sample"Source: mosameat.com
The Role of Bioreactors
To facilitate efficient growth, Mosa Meat utilizes bioreactors, which create optimal conditions for cell proliferation. In these bioreactors, the muscle cells undergo rapid multiplication and begin to form myotubes, the building blocks of muscle tissue. As these cells mature, they develop into muscle fibres that form the basis of the cultivated beef. This technology allows for a consistent and scalable production process that traditional farming cannot match.
Enhancing Flavor and Texture
In addition to cultivating muscle cells, Mosa Meat also focuses on growing fat cells alongside them. This combination is crucial for replicating the flavour, juiciness, and texture of traditional beef. The integration of fat cells enhances the overall eating experience, making the lab-grown burger more appealing to consumers. Mosa Meat continuously refines its growth process to improve the efficiency and quality of the cultivated beef.
"Kinder to cows and other animals.
Cows are much more loving and emotionally sensitive than most people would imagine. We think they’re great.
To make tens of thousands of burgers, all we need from a cow is a small cell sample. No slaughter is required and much fewer cows are needed. This process also means we don’t have to take away any other animals’ habitats: with less cows, we need far less space."Source: mosameat.com
Key Developments
First Cultivated Burger
The company gained international attention in 2013 when Mark Post unveiled the world’s first cultivated meat hamburger, which was produced at a cost of approximately €250,000. This burger was made from muscle fibres grown in a lab, marking a significant milestone in cellular agriculture.
Production Facilities
Mosa Meat has established the world's largest cultured meat centre in Maastricht, which spans over 7,340 square meters. This facility enables the production of tens of thousands of burgers using advanced bioreactors. Recent advancements have reduced the time to produce a burger from over three months to less than three weeks.
Tasting Events
In July 2024, Mosa Meat hosted the first official tasting of cultivated beef in the EU. This tasting event, allowed under a new 2023 ‘code of practice,’ showcased the Mosa Burger to Dutch cattle farmers, food developers, and industry representatives. Participants praised the burger for its authentic meat taste and juiciness, indicating strong market potential—the event aimed to gather expert feedback to refine their products further.
Collaboration with DiCaprio
Mosa Meat's collaboration with Leonardo DiCaprio began in September 2021 when the Academy Award-winning actor and environmental activist joined the company as both an investor and advisor. DiCaprio's involvement with Mosa Meat is rooted in his belief that transforming the food system is one of the most impactful ways to address the climate crisis. He was drawn to Mosa Meat's pioneering work in cultivated beef production, which offers a potential solution to mitigate the environmental impacts of traditional industrial beef production.
The actor's decision to invest in and advise Mosa Meat was motivated by the company's innovative approach to satisfying global beef demand while addressing pressing issues associated with conventional beef production. DiCaprio praised Mosa Meat for pioneering "a cleaner, kinder way of making real beef" with their groundbreaking cultivated beef burger in 2013.
Sources: mosameat.com, dutchnews.nl, mosameat.com
When Can You Try Mosa Meat’s Lab-Grown Burger?
Mosa Meat is making strides toward bringing its cultivated burger to the public. With the opening of a new 2,760-square-meter production facility in Maastricht, they are advancing toward achieving price parity with conventional beef. The facility will help them scale production and reduce costs, which are critical steps to making their cultivated beef commercially viable. Mosa Meat anticipates their product will initially appear in high-end European restaurants by 2025, with plans to expand as regulatory approval and cost efficiency improve.
Partnership opportunities
Mosa Meat offers partnership opportunities for organizations and individuals interested in the sustainable food industry. They are seeking collaborations with various stakeholders, including food producers, retailers, researchers, and investors, to accelerate the development and commercialization of lab-grown meat. Partnerships can take various forms, from joint research and development projects to co-branding initiatives and supply chain collaborations.
For more information about partnership opportunities, visit Mosa Meat Partnerships.
