For the first time, dishes containing chicken meat manufactured in laboratories were presented, in a step described as historic.

The researchers based on this experiment hope that this shift will lead to a reduction of gas emissions from raising animals, which are increasingly damaging the climate on the planet.

At the beginning of this December, the start-up company Eat Just announced that its laboratory-manufactured meat, based on animal cells, had obtained official approval to be marketed as a food ingredient by the authorities in this Southeast Asian country, making Singapore the first country in the world. It opens the door to these artificial chickens, according to a report in the French newspaper nouvelobs.

Historic dinner

Last Wednesday, the startup announced the first commercial marketing of this meat to a restaurant called 1880, located in a luxury neighborhood in Singapore.

On Saturday evening - early this week - the restaurant presented this chicken to a group of young men between the ages of 14 and 18, who were chosen to attend this historic event based on their "commitment to improving the climate of the planet."

The media has been banned from covering this dinner due to the social distancing measures imposed by the Coronavirus.

Marc Nicholson, the restaurant's founder, sees the introduction of artificial meat as a revolutionary step in tackling climate change (French)

A revolutionary move?

Mark Nicholson, founder of the 1880s restaurant, believes that introducing this artificial meat represents a revolutionary step in the direction of addressing climate change, and opens the door to providing people with food without destroying the planet.

"This first-of-its-kind experiment brings us closer to a world in which the majority of the meat we consume does not require destroying a single forest, displacing animal herds, or using a single drop of antibiotics," says Josh Tetrick, founder of Eat Just.

Global meat consumption is expected to increase by 70% by the year 2050, and therefore the option to develop processed meat in laboratories may respond in the future to this growing demand, according to the expectations of this emerging company.

It is noteworthy that the intensive raising of animals to consume their meat is a major source of methane, which exacerbates global warming.

In some countries, such as Brazil, this economic sector is destroying forests that are natural protections from climate change.

The production cost is very high

The world is witnessing an increase in the search for natural meat alternatives, but the options that were available so far are all of animal origin.

There are dozens of startups working on projects to develop artificial meat, but this production remains only in the experimental phase so far.

The high cost of producing artificial meat is seen as the biggest obstacle to the development of this sector, according to the spokesperson for Eat Just, who confirms that this emerging company has made significant progress in reducing costs.