World's First Lab-grown Burger Eaten in London

　　The world's first lab-grown burger has been cooked and eaten in London.

 

　　Scientists hope the new technology can be a sustainable way of meeting growing demand for meat and protect the environment.

 

　　CRI's London correspondent¹ Tu Yun has more.

 

　　The burger was grown by a research team led by Professor Mark Post of the Netherland's Maastricht University.

 

　　Austrian food critic Hanni Ruetzler tasted the 320,000-dollar lab-made product.

 

　　"I was expecting the texture² to be more soft. I know there is no fat in it, so I didn't know how juicy it will be. But there is quite some intense taste. It's close to meat. It's not that juicy. The consistency³ is perfect, but I missed salt and pepper."

 

　　Scientists took stem⁴ cells from a dead cow and cultured them with nutrients⁵ and chemicals so that the cells could develop and multiply.

 

　　The cells then turned them into strips of muscle that were combined to make a patty before being cooked.

 

　　American food writer Josh Schonwald reflects on the artificial beef burger.

 

　　"The texture, the mouth feel has a feel like meat. The absence I feel is the fat. The bite feels like a conventional hamburger."

 

　　An independent study has found that lab-grown beef uses 45 percent less energy on average than farming cattle.

 

　　It also produces 96 percent fewer greenhouse gas emissions⁶ and requires 99 percent less land.

 

　　Scientists are hoping the new technology can help create a sustainable way of meeting what they say is a growing demand for meat as well as helping⁷ protect the environment and animals.

 

　　But as the lab product still tastes different from natural beef, there are questions on how people may change their eating habit.

 

　　Professor Mark Post,

 

　　"That's really a matter of how you market it, which is not my specialty⁸. The yuck factor maybe deconvoluted in a number of issues, one is this just towards any sort of lab or factory made product, which potentially you can do this in your kitchen, you can grow your own meat. You have to know eight weeks in advance when you want to eat. But if you are not afraid of that part of the technology, and of the put it into human hands, then you can do that, or any scale in between. So that comes with new technology."

 

　　Critics argue promoting a healthier life style of eating less meat would be an easier way to kill two birds with one stone.

 

　　For CRI, I'm Tu Yun in London.

1 correspondent   

n.记者，通信者；adj.符合的，一致的，相当的

参考例句：

• He volunteered as a correspondent for the war.他自愿担任作报道这次战争的记者。
• The result was correspondent with my wishes.结果与我的愿望是一致的。

2 texture   

n.(织物)质地；(材料)构造；结构；肌理

参考例句：

• We could feel the smooth texture of silk.我们能感觉出丝绸的光滑质地。
• Her skin has a fine texture.她的皮肤细腻。

3 consistency   

n.一贯性，前后一致，稳定性；(液体的)浓度

参考例句：

• Your behaviour lacks consistency.你的行为缺乏一贯性。
• We appreciate the consistency and stability in China and in Chinese politics.我们赞赏中国及其政策的连续性和稳定性。

4 stem   

n.茎，干，船首，词干，血统；vt.堵住，阻止，抽去梗；vi.起源于，发生

参考例句：

• Cut the stem cleanly,just beneath a leaf joint.把茎切整齐点，正好切在叶根下。
• The ship was in a blaze from stem to stern.整艘船从头到尾都着火了。

5 nutrients   

n.（食品或化学品）营养物，营养品( nutrient的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a lack of essential nutrients 基本营养的缺乏
• Nutrients are absorbed into the bloodstream. 营养素被吸收进血液。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 emissions   

排放物( emission的名词复数 )； 散发物（尤指气体）

参考例句：

• Most scientists accept that climate change is linked to carbon emissions. 大多数科学家都相信气候变化与排放的含碳气体有关。
• Dangerous emissions radiate from plutonium. 危险的辐射物从钚放散出来。

7 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

8 specialty   

n.(speciality)特性，特质；专业，专长

参考例句：

• Shell carvings are a specialty of the town.贝雕是该城的特产。
• His specialty is English literature.他的专业是英国文学。