'Ahimsa meat' is the latest type of meat in the Indian market which researchers claim do not need the rearing and slaughter of animals. The meat, which was synthesised from stem cells, was created in Hyderabad in a joint effort by Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) and National Research Centre on Meat (NRCM), reports The Times of India.
The researchers said that the synthetic meat will look, taste and feel the same. Different types of meat can be produced, including chicken and mutton. They added that the nutritional content of the meat will be the same as the natural ones.
However, this meat will be boneless and fat-free. By producing this type of meat, the scientists hope that there would be a reduction in the carbon footprint and they will contribute to animal welfare.
The laboratories were given a budget of Rs 4.5 crore to develop the meat. Maneka Gandhi, a known animal rights activist, had asked to start producing synthetic meat on a commercial scale in five years.
Humane Society of India, which is one of the top promoters of synthetic meat, claimed that the government's investment in the project is the largest compared to any other country.
What do international meat suppliers have to say?
Peter Verstrate, the CEO of Dutch company Mosa Meat, told Labiotech that by moving towards synthetic meat, methane emissions would reduce. Along with this, 95 per cent of water spent on rearing the farm animals could be saved.
"We have billions of animals that are being raised and are being eaten. If you can just reduce that 10 per cent, 20 per cent it would be massive on the environment, but we don't expect that to be done within 10 years. The only thing that is now on our horizon is just stopping the growth of animal consumption. If we can just do that it will be a huge win," said Daan Luining, the CTO of Meatable, cultured meat company in Denmark.
