Serious meat lovers might be doing a double take, but a local cultivated meat company has now unveiled Africa’s first cultivated beef burger. Mzansi Meat Co. describes its milestone as a “breakthrough for food security on the continent”.
The burger was prepared at an event in Cape Town earlier this week where co-founders Brett Thompson and Tasneem Karodia, together with head of taste at Mzansi Meat Co., Absie Pantshwa, had a bite alongside James Vos, mayoral committee member for economic growth at the City of Cape Town.
Now that the first burger has been developed, Mzansi Meat Co’s next step is scaling up. That means that consumers might soon be able to buy the cultivated meat at retailers across the country.
Cellular agriculture wasn’t really a thing until Mzansi Meat Co. came along, explains Thompson.
“Our burger is only the beginning. We now know it’s possible and the next step is scaling up. It starts with one small beef burger and we aim to be producing tons of cultivated meat every month in the future.”
Future plans
Karodia says the company is finalising plans to move into a pilot production facility while getting retailers and restaurant partners on board.
“Next up, we’re developing sausages to go with the burger and our goal is to produce meat that can be used in traditional African cuisine. Everything we make will be braai-friendly and ready for the fire!”
In a media release, Mzansi Meat Co. says Africa’s population is growing and by 2050, the continent can expect another billion mouths to feed. This is why the company believes the current agricultural landscape needs innovation to make it better.
Tackling food security with an improved food system benefits the environment by reducing land use and water. Cultivated meat doesn’t require the killing of millions of animals, which means less intensive livestock conditions, adds Mzansi Meat Co.
As the company celebrates its milestone, it is mindful that getting here has been an intricate process. The journey begins at a local farm animal sanctuary where veterinarians remove tiny tissue cells from donor animals, who roam free with as little harm as possible.
Once the cells are harvested, a sample is placed in a nutrient-rich transport medium and taken to the Mzansi Meat Co. lab where they isolate the cells and grow them in a culture medium. This is a special type of food containing vitamins, salts and proteins that the cells need to develop and divide.
Once they have enough cells, they place them on an edible structure and after adding a few additional spices and flavours, the cultivated meat is ready to be dished up and enjoyed.
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