What Is Lab-Grown Shrimp?

The company Shiok Meats in Singapore aims to bring laboratory-grown shrimp¹ to the food industry.

Concerns about health, animals and the environment are leading more people to remove meat from their diet. Plant-based meat alternatives, popularized by Beyond Meat Inc. and Impossible Foods, increasingly appear in supermarkets and restaurants.

But what some people call clean meat - meat grown from cells in a laboratory - is still an idea that is just beginning.

More than 24 companies are testing lab-grown fish, beef and chicken. These businesses hope to enter the alternative meat market, which could be worth $140 billion by 2029. That estimate comes from Barclay's, a financial services company.

Shiok Meats grows its product by taking shrimp cells and keeping them at a temperature of 28 degrees Celsius². They are then given nutrients³ in a solution. The cells become meat in four to six weeks.

This lab-grown meat's price is high. One kilogram of it now costs $5,000, said Shiok Meats' Chief Executive Sandhya Sriram.

At that cost, a single pork and shrimp dumpling could be as much as $300.

Sriram, a vegetarian⁴, hopes to cut the cost to $50 for one kilogram by the end of this year. She also hopes to sign a new low-cost deal for nutrients that help grow the shrimp cells.

"We are looking at next year, so we might be the first ever company to launch a cell-based meat product in the world," Sriram said. Shiok Meats still needs approval from the city-state's food regulator.

Although people increasingly demand meat alternatives, cell-based meat companies still face resistance to their products.

In Singapore, some people said they would try lab-grown meat.

"I am willing to try," said 60-year-old Pet Loh, while she shopped for shrimp in a Singapore market. "I may not exactly dare to eat it frequently, but I don't mind buying and trying it because the animals in the oceans are declining."

Any alternative ways of making animal protein without harming the environment are positive, said Paul Teng, a specialist in agritechnology at Nanyang Technological⁵ University. But, he added, more studies are needed to understand any negative results of making cellular⁶ protein.

Words in This Story

alternative – n. something that can be chosen instead of something else : a choice or option

solution – n. a liquid in which something has been dissolved

dumpling

regulator – n. an official who works for the part of the government that controls a public activity (such as banking⁷ or insurance) by making and enforcing rules

dare – v. to have enough courage or confidence to do something : to not be too afraid to do something

1 shrimp   

n.虾，小虾；矮小的人

参考例句：

• When the shrimp farm is built it will block the stream.一旦养虾场建起来，将会截断这条河流。
• When it comes to seafood,I like shrimp the best.说到海鲜，我最喜欢虾。

2 Celsius   

adj.摄氏温度计的，摄氏的

参考例句：

• The temperature tonight will fall to seven degrees Celsius.今晚气温将下降到七摄氏度。
• The maximum temperature in July may be 36 degrees Celsius.七月份最高温度可能达到36摄氏度。

3 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》

4 vegetarian   

n.素食者；adj.素食的

参考例句：

• She got used gradually to the vegetarian diet.她逐渐习惯吃素食。
• I didn't realize you were a vegetarian.我不知道你是个素食者。

5 technological   

adj.技术的；工艺的

参考例句：

• A successful company must keep up with the pace of technological change.一家成功的公司必须得跟上技术变革的步伐。
• Today,the pace of life is increasing with technological advancements.当今， 随着科技进步，生活节奏不断增快。

6 cellular   

adj.移动的；细胞的，由细胞组成的

参考例句：

• She has a cellular telephone in her car.她的汽车里有一部无线通讯电话机。
• Many people use cellular materials as sensitive elements in hygrometers.很多人用蜂窝状的材料作为测量温度的传感元件。

7 banking   

n.银行业，银行学，金融业

参考例句：

• John is launching his son on a career in banking.约翰打算让儿子在银行界谋一个新职位。
• He possesses an extensive knowledge of banking.他具有广博的银行业务知识。