The first burger patty to be fully developed in a laboratory was put through a taste test on Monday, August 5th. Financed by Google’s co-founder, Sergey Brin, the patty had a production cost of $333,000 and took five years to make.
Before being tasted by a few select individuals, the burger patty was sizzled on a pan with butter and sunflower oil. Witnesses report that a meaty aroma was in the air. The tasters agreed that the lab-patty almost tasted like the real thing. In other words, taste is still a work in progress.
One of the select tasters takes a bite of the $333,000 burger patty. This photo is brought to you by Toby Melville of Reuters.
If this becomes a hit, and if it becomes an affordable commodity, it would mean more than just an alternative to beef. The lab-patty could introduce a new avenue for more environmentally friendly burger production. It could also help mitigate the world’s food shortage.
With all scientific innovations, there are ethical issues that pop up. What do you think? Is this a good idea or another way for science to play Mother Nature with horrible consequences?