Second Annual International Conference on Cultured Meat Takes Place in The Netherlands
Innovative plant-based alternatives to animal products are taking the world by storm. As evidenced by Tyson Food’s recent investment in Beyond Meat, even the most unlikely people or companies are taking notice. Cultured meat is no exception, and whether it is cultured chicken or meatballs, we definitely have some exciting times up ahead.
Recently, we wrote about a new documentary in-the-making, Meat the Future, directed by Liz Marshall, which focuses on cultured meat and the impact it may have on food and the future of animal agriculture. Now, the second annual International Conference on Cultured Meat has just come to an end, which took place on October 9 and ran until October 11 in Maastricht, The Netherlands.
The conference was described as “the meeting on one of the most controversial subjects of the last years that will transform our world into a better and more sustainable place,” and rides on the success of last year’s event, which featured:
“Top-notch keynote speakers, excellent pitches by young investigators and candid interaction of participants with wildly different backgrounds.”
The program included a keynote speech from Dr. Matthias Lütolf, the director of the Institute of Bioengineering and the head of the Laboratory of Stem Cell Bioengineering in Switzerland, and a talk on consumer acceptance by Bruce Friedrich, the executive director of The Good Food Institute. The conference featured participants from The Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Japan, and the topics included tissue engineering and 3D printing, cell production, serum-free cell culture, involving the established food industry and government, consumer attitudes, and how-to sessions.
Whichever way you look at it, cultured meat is gaining momentum and by 2020, we may finally see what it will mean for the food industry. For those of us who missed this opportunity to learn more about cultured meat and its future, there is always next year and we can also hope to get a glimpse of the 2016 conference in Meat the Future!
Photo Credit: www.culturedbeef.org
