Mzansi Meat Co. is bringing healthy, accessible and affordable meat to our braais, potjies and shisa nyamas by growing it from cells instead of harming animals.
Johannesburg, South Africa (09 March 2022) – South Africa is about to get our first taste of cruelty-free meat… lab-grown from cells. Wait, what?
The theoretical possibility of growing meat in an industrial setting has long captured the public imagination. In his 1931 essay Fifty Years Hence, Winston Churchill wrote: “We shall escape the absurdity of growing a whole chicken to eat the breast or wing, by growing these parts separately under a suitable medium.” In the 1950s, Dutch researcher Willem van Eelen independently came up with the idea for cultured meat.
And in 2022, South Africa will get its first taste of locally made cruelty-free meat!
Since establishing in 2020, South African cultivated meat company Mzansi Meat Co. has been harnessing cellular agriculture technology in order to make meat from the cells of animals without actually harming the animal.
After two years of research and development, the company is proud to announce that next month it will be showcasing the first cultivated beef burger in Africa at a bespoke event in Cape Town.
A proudly South African company, Mzansi Meat Co. plans to scale up production on their cultivated meat to ensure cruelty-free meat is available on as many plates around the country as possible. However, their sights are not only set on burgers. The brand has plans to introduce minced beef burgers, sausages, nuggets, steaks and even chicken into the South African market over the next few years. The company’s vision is to produce meat that will be used in traditional African and South African cuisine.
“The African population is expected to grow from 1.3B to 2.5B by 2050; the demand for meat is expected to rise with it. This challenge presents an opportunity. An opportunity for a new source of protein, cultivated meat, to be part of the solution for food security on the continent.”, Brett Thompson, CEO of Mzansi Meat Co.
However, as the company celebrates this massive milestone, getting there has been an intricate process. The journey begins at Mzansi Meat Co.’s 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 labs, where the cells are isolated and grown 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’re placed on a scaffold, and after adding a few additional spices and flavours, the cultivated meat is ready to be dished up and enjoyed. The process of growing cell-based meat is similar to how beer is brewed.
“We’ve always had a thing for meat. It’s easy to see why – meat goes with all occasions and brings us together to make moments more flavourful. It’s also a rich form of protein loved by cultures the world over. The journey from the source to our plate, however, comes at a cost,” Brett Thompson explains.
“That’s where Mzansi Meat Co. was born – out of a relentless pursuit to reimagine our food systems and the way we make meat. We’re bringing healthy, accessible and affordable meat to your braais, potjies and shisa nyamas by growing it from cells instead of harming animals.”
Watch the video explaining the process below:
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