Fake pork steak grown inside UK lab ‘exceeds expectations’

It's no secret that an increasing number of people are embracing the concept of a plant-based diet.

While there are certainly more options than ever before, often plant-based meat substitutes don't taste quite the same as the real deal, but this might not be the case for much longer.

This is because there's a new fake steak being grown in UK labs, and apparently, in the taste department, it 'exceeds expectations' and looks, smells and tastes just like real meat.

The pork steak - unlike the fake meat many have some to know and love - is actually made from a few animal cells that were grown to create the 1.2oz (33g) fillet.

It looks and feels exactly like you'd expect a real meat steak to when it's raw, however, when it's cooked, it reportedly has a slightly different texture and becomes more crispy than you'd expect from the old-fashioned real deal.

3D Bio-Tissues

While the British lab - 3D Bio-Tissues (3DBT) - has only grown one of these hyper-realistic steaks so far, the scientists behind the new creation believe it could soon be available everywhere.

Needless to say, as it's such a new creation, there's no indication yet about how much it will cost to get your hands on this kind of meat of meat replacement.

Dr Che Connon, the Chief Executive of 3DBT, said: "We are absolutely delighted with the appearance, taste, aroma, and texture of our cultivated pork, which is the first time we have fully sampled our product.

3D Bio-Tissues

"Our cruelty-free fillet has exceeded our expectations in all respects, and we are extremely excited about the technological progress we are making and the impact this could have on our industry."

News of the 'fake' fillet steak comes after Eric Schuzle, the vice president of product and regulation at UPSIDE Foods, said that lab-grown meat is fundamentally the real thing.

This is because it is still grown from real animal cells, even if it is 'made without the need to raise and slaughter animals'.

While it is a relatively new concept, research has already shown that lab-grown meat can be made relatively cheaply, and this could have a hugely positive environmental impact as the livestock industry is so historically destructive.

Alamy / Marc Macdonald

The first lab-grown meat was made a decade ago by a University of Maastricht team and involved research that ultimately saw it cost over £245,991($300,000).

But by 2015, the researchers involved in its creation had managed to refine the process to the point where it could be made for £9.31 ($11.36).

As reported by YouGov, around 2 percent of the British population was vegan in 2020 but this had increased to 3 percent in 2021.