The Just company is predicting that it will have
a cultured chicken nugget available during 2018. It is not the
only company doing so, but will be the first of many to produce
a cultured product.
The CEO said in an interview that his company would have a
chicken nugget, foie gras, or sausage available by the end of
2018. Looks like it will be a chicken nugget. The company calls
it 'clean meat'.
To make cultured chicken, you first collect some cells, and that
can be done through a small harmless biopsy from a live chicken,
through a cell bank, feathers, or other ways. The cells are
separated and the best are loaded into a bioreactor, given plant
based nutrients, and a scaffolding material on which to grow. It
can take from a few days to a few weeks to produce a nugget.
Two BBC News reporters were able to try a sample and said it was
flavorful, that the skin was crisp, and the texture was slightly
softer than that of fast food nuggets.
The plan is to introduce the product in Europe first, and then
the US, after FDA and USDA decide how to deal with it.
Not sure they will stack up well to the new McDonald's Triple
Breakfast Stacks. Each sandwich features two sausage patties,
two slices of cheese, eggs, and bacon strips. Guests can
choose between a McMuffin, Biscuits, or a McGriddle triple.