No pigs were harmed in the making of this bacon

The Unlikely Savior of Meat: How Cultivated Pork Fat Is Revolutionizing the Industry

In a world where the environmental and ethical implications of industrial livestock are becoming increasingly difficult to ignore, a new player has entered the scene, promising a savior in disguise. No pigs were harmed in the making of this bacon - or so it seems.

Meet Dawn, a Yorkshire pig who's been turned into a pet while her fat is being cultivated in bioreactors at Mission Barns, a company that's pushing the boundaries of plant-based meat alternatives. The result? A product that tastes remarkably like traditional pork, without the need for animal slaughter.

Mission Barns' approach is to replicate the conditions inside an animal's body using bioreactors, which are essentially large tanks filled with nutrients and spongelike structures that provide plenty of surface area for cells to grow. It's a complex process, but one that yields impressive results - from meatballs that spring back like they were made from real pork, to bacon that's greasy in the hand.

The key to Mission Barns' success lies in its ability to balance flavor and juiciness, which is where the fat comes in. Unlike plant-based meat alternatives, which often struggle with texture, the company's products have a mouthfeel that's uncannily close to the real thing.

But this new frontier of food is not without its challenges. As one expert notes, "When you buy chicken, you get 100 percent chicken" - a sentiment that will likely apply to cultivated meat as well. The question on everyone's mind is: Who exactly is this for? Will vegetarians and vegans give up their plant-based diets for a taste of the real thing? And what about meat-eaters who are willing to trade in their traditional pork for something more sustainable?

The answer, for now, lies with flexitarians - people who eat mostly plant-based but occasionally indulge in animal products. Mission Barns' early adopters include these consumers, who are eager to try the latest innovation in food technology.

As the company scales up production and licenses its technology to other companies, one thing is clear: cultivated meat is here to stay. And with it comes a new wave of environmental benefits - from reduced greenhouse gas emissions to more energy-efficient manufacturing processes.

In a world where the line between plant-based and animal-based has never been more blurred, Mission Barns is poised to be at the forefront of this revolution. And as for Dawn, the Yorkshire pig who's being pampered in upstate New York? She'll continue to soak up the sunshine and enjoy belly rubs - while her fat does all the talking for her.

I'm not convinced about this "cultivated pork fat" thing... I mean, think about it, we're basically just growing pig fat in tanks now? What's next? Growing human organs or something? It just feels like another example of us trying to solve our problems with technology instead of addressing the root issues. And let's not forget about the fact that pigs are still being raised and slaughtered elsewhere for food, so what's really changing here? The taste is supposed to be the same as traditional pork, but I'm sure it'll all come down to personal preference in the end...

This whole cultivated meat thing is wild... I mean, I'm all for trying new things, but have we thought this one through? Like, what about the pigs that aren't being "saved" or whatever? They're still having kids and getting raised in these factory farms, right? And then there's the issue of scale - how much cultivated meat can we realistically produce before it's still better for the environment?

I'm not sure if it's a good thing or a bad thing but I think this whole cultivated meat thing is kinda interesting . On one hand, the environmental benefits sound amazing - who doesn't want to reduce their carbon footprint? But on the other hand, are we just replacing one type of animal suffering with another? It's also weird that they're using a pig for their experiment... like, what's up with that? I guess it's all about finding new solutions to old problems. And hey, if it means more sustainable food options, then I'm all for it!

lol they're actually making meat from pigs without harming them its wild how much tech is going into this stuff! i think it's awesome that mission barns is trying something new & sustainable – we need more companies like this that are pushing boundaries flexitarians for the win, let's see what happens when ppl start switching to this kind of meat

I'm loving the innovation here! It's crazy to think that you can get a taste of traditional pork without harming any animals The bioreactor process is so cool, it's like sci-fi stuff But seriously, this is huge for the environment and for people who want to enjoy meat but don't want to compromise on ethics. I'm all about that flexitarian lifestyle And yeah, it'll be interesting to see how the market shifts as more companies get in on the action One thing's for sure, Dawn the pig is living her best life

I think its kinda weird that they're getting away with calling it "cultivated" when technically you still need to kill an animal to get the fat lol But seriously, its a pretty interesting concept and I can see why people would be curious about trying it out. The part thats got me thinking is what are the long term health effects of eating this stuff? Is it really that different from regular pork or just another version of the same thing

I gotta say, cultivated pork fat is kinda a game changer . I mean, we've been hearing about plant-based meat alternatives for ages, but this stuff tastes like the real thing? That's some next level innovation right there! The whole bioreactor thing might sound weird, but it seems to be working out pretty well for them.

I'm not surprised that flexitarians are leading the charge on this new technology, though - they're always looking for ways to make their meaty habits a little more sustainable. And hey, who can blame 'em? Reducing greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption is definitely a win-win in my book .

But I do think we need to be careful not to get too caught up in the whole "cultivated meat" hype. We still gotta consider the ethics of what's being produced - even if it doesn't involve actual animal slaughter, there are still implications for pig welfare and all that jazz. Just saying .

Cultivated meat is like a superhero for the environment – it's a game-changer! No more animal slaughter, less greenhouse gas emissions... win-win

This whole cultivated pork fat thing is kinda wild, but I'm not sure if it's a game changer just yet... I mean, we've had plant-based meat alternatives for ages now and they're still kinda hit or miss, you know? But at the same time, if someone can make a product that tastes like real pork without harming any animals, then I'm all in. Maybe it's a new direction for flexitarians and vegans to explore? Not sure about meat-eaters giving up their traditional pork for something sustainable though...

I gotta say, this is wild! Cultivated pork fat sounds like something straight outta sci-fi! But seriously, I think it's awesome that companies are finding ways to make meat more sustainable. It's not like they're creating an entirely new food group, just tweaking the old one. And flexitarians? They're the perfect test subjects for this stuff. I'm curious to see how much more affordable and accessible this tech becomes in the future . On a smaller note, what happened to Dawn after she became the poster pig? Is she living her best life now ?

you think it's weird that they're just using a single pig's fat or is this some kinda controlled experiment? like, what if mission barns is secretly testing the effects of consuming "cultivated" meat on humans? and those flexitarians eating their stuff are basically guinea pigs for big pharma.

The thing that gets me is how much we're willing to settle for 'solutions' that still rely on exploiting animals, just in different ways. I mean, yeah, Dawn the pig isn't getting harmed, but at what cost? We need to think about the bigger picture here and ask ourselves if this really is a step forward or just a Band-Aid solution. It's all about finding that balance between being sustainable and still satisfying our cravings... but what if we're just distracting ourselves from the real issue?

omg have you guys seen this new "bacon" that's like totally not from a pig lol it's got bioreactors or something where they grow cells in tanks and then harvest the fat to make these ridiculously realistic meat products - i mean, who needs real pork when you can have plant-based that tastes just as good? but seriously, what's up with all this flexitarian stuff? are we gonna start calling people who eat both plant-based and animal products "meat-arians" now?

Dude I think it's kinda cool that they're finding new ways to make meat without harming animals . Like, I'm not saying vegans should go full-on carnivore or anything but it's nice that we've got options now. The bioreactor thing is wild though - I mean, who needs a pet pig when you can just get the good stuff from a machine? Mission Barns seems like they're on to something and if flexitarians are getting stoked about it then that's a win in my book