What comes to mind when you hear the phrase "space meat"? It sounds quite weird. But in fact, it could very well be the future of the human diet.
A Russian astronaut recently "grew" meat aboard the International Space Station. Yes, you read that right --he grew it using cells (细胞) provided by an Israeli company called Aleph Farms. But in fact, he was not the first person to create lab-grown (实验室培育的) meat. Dutch scientist Mark Post grew the first lab meat in 2013.
But why bother growing meat in a lab when we can get the real thing from cows? For one thing, lab-grown meat is healthier. "We gain greater control over what the meat consists of (由……组成), for example its fat content," Post said in an interview with The Atlantic. Lab-grown meat is also free of the chemicals that are used on farms, such as pesticides (农药) and growth hormones (激素).
Are there other ways to replace (代替) regular meat? McDonalds is trying to do so with the P.L.T., which stands for plant, lettuce and tomato. The first P.L.T. burgers are already being sold in Canada, according to the fast food company.
The "meat" in the P.L.T. is made out of Beyond Meat, a plant-based meat substitute (替代品) created by a company from Los Angeles, US. The company uses pea, rice and bean proteins to produce patties (肉饼) that look and taste like real meat.
Experts doubt whether these products are healthier than real meat. But they have already proven to be a success, with several fast food companies already offering such products on their menus, according to Fox Business.
