#7 CHINA: Lab grown meat, a promising alternative
Nanjing leads China in Pushing cultured meat. In November 2019 scientists from Nanjing Agricultural University created China's first piece of cultured pork made of stem cells from the muscle tissue of pigs, a milestone in the industry. In this episode we will talk to Dr. Ding's Shijie, associate professor at the Nanjing Agricultural University in China and CTO at a startup called Nanjing Zhouzi Future Food Technology. Or in English Joe’s Future Food. As part of the research team led by Professor Zhou Guanghong, Dr. Ding managed to replicate natural tissue growth in order to create China’s first piece of cultured meat. Minced pork. A breakthrough with great impact, given the fact that pork is a staple food in China.After the establishment of Joe’s Future Food, the start-up received ¥20 million in financing from Matrix Partners China (经纬创投因). The funds are intended for the development and large-scale production of cultured meat and accelerating the application of related products. We will talk with Dr. Ding Shijie and his scientific achievement. What are the current hurdles to produce on a large-scale and what will be the future impact?