Tasting the Future of Food: A Bite into SciFi Foods' CellAg Burger
A photo during the cellular agriculture tasting experience. On the left portion of the plate is SciFi Foods’ cellag beef burger. On the right side of the plate is a plant-based patty for tasting comparison.
It’s an exciting time to dive into the Future of Food! That’s because thanks to biotechnology and other exponential technologies, innovators around the world are coming up with new sources of nutritious, sustainable, and yes, delicious food.
I recently had the chance to taste one of these innovations for myself!
What is Cellular Agriculture?
What is cellular agriculture? It’s growing meat in the lab. No feedlots, no slaughterhouses. Instead, cells are harvested from a living animal (without killing the animal) and brought to a lab, where they are coaxed into growing in tanks like the ones we use for yogurt or beer. You may have heard cellular agriculture called “lab-grown meat” or “cultured meat” or even “clean meat”.
💡 Here’s the most important fact: lab-grown meat is meat. It isn’t soy-based, or plant-based. The cells that grow in a cow, or a pig, or a tuna are the same cells that are grown in the lab.
These cells are being incorporated into foods that have been approved for consumption in Singapore and the USA, and to a limited extent in the Netherlands. While there are still important problems to be solved in terms of manufacturing, regulation, and sustainability, cellular agriculture seems poised for a breakthrough.
A Taste of the Future
Last summer, I had the great good fortune to meet Joshua March and Dr. Kasia Gora of SciFi Foods. When I shamelessly mentioned that I had never actually tasted food made via cellular agriculture—despite years following the development and commercialization of the industry—they promised to invite me to a tasting.
Fast forward to February 2024, when our calendars finally aligned. I headed across the San Francisco Bay to tour the lab, check out production, and finally, finally get that first bit of the future.
The Tasting Experience
The SciFi Foods tasting room is a gleaming kitchen that I would love to cook in. After a quick intro from our hosts, another guest and I settled ourselves on barstools. The plastic baskets in front of us held two burgers: one a commercially available plant-based burger, and the other a proprietary blend of 10% SciFi Foods cellular beef and 90% plant ingredients. These blended, or “hybrid”, products seek to balance the benefits and costs of growing meat in the lab.
And since eating is supposed to be fun (so important to remember!), we also had some potato chips and our choice of beverage. Despite the temptation, I turned down a beer and avoided distracting my tastebuds.
Speaking of fun, we caught the tasting on video—check it out here:
The Cellular Ag Burger Difference
But here’s what I noticed when I compared the plant-based burger with the cellular ag-blended burger.
💡 The most important difference was that the cellular ag burger truly smelled, tasted, and felt like a conventional beef burger. It was pleasantly greasy and a bit messy.
The scent was spot on. Personally, I would have preferred a bit more variety in the texture while I chewed, but the mouthfeel of the blended burger was more enjoyable to me than that of the plant-based burger.
My burger from SciFi Foods was delicious, fun to eat, and a great opportunity to spend time with interesting people. Isn’t that what food is supposed to be about? Achievement unlocked!
The Potential of Cellular Agriculture
I believe that cellular agriculture is going to be an important part of a global food industry that brings sustainable, resilient, healthy, and delicious food to billions of people around the world. I’m excited to see future advances in product development and manufacturing—like further reducing the energy, water, and animal inputs required for meat. And who knows what could be possible for personalized nutrition, decentralized manufacturing, or diversifying our food sources in the coming years?
This is a remarkable time in food and agriculture. Now is the time to re-evaluate what we value in food, what we may be able to let go of, and what can be possible when we focus on the true “job to be done” for food and agriculture.
Because our vision for a better future is the most important thing that each of us can bring to the table.
Dr. Tiffany Vora speaks, writes, and advises on how to harness technology to build the best possible future(s). She is an expert in biotech, health, & innovation. For a full list of topics and ways to collaborate, visit her Work Together webpage.
Looking for book titles on biotech, leadership, innovation, and health?
Check out my curated book lists.
You can support local booksellers using these links!
Disclosure: I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org where your purchases support local bookstores. I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase in the USA.