Frankenmeat grown in a lab expected by the end of the year

Just when you thought the products sold on grocery store shelves couldn’t possibly deviate any further from the real food provided by nature, Frankenmeats grown in labs are poised to join the other engineered abominations at your local supermarket by the end of the year.

This so-called “clean” in-vitro meat is created by taking stem cells from animals, growing them, and multiplying them in a lab to make a whole piece of meat. For one clean meat company, Mosa Meats, it takes about nine weeks to create a hamburger patty. Memphis Meats is working on beef meatballs, fried chicken, and duck, while Hampton Creek Foods has said that its cultured poultry will hit store shelves by the end of the year.

The technique is also being used to fabricate fish meat. A company called Finless Foods grows fish flesh in its lab. Its founders are a pair of biochemists who say they want to provide contaminant-free and affordable fish to consumers.