Will new lab-developed ingredients pass the taste test?

In my kitchen, there is a recipe book first used by my grandmother. It is full of family favourites, and over time, handwritten notes have been added to bring recipes up to date. Lines have been put through ‘Aspic’, ‘Beef Dripping’, and ‘Arrowroot’ with alternatives written alongside them: all with the ambition of delivering that same family favourite taste, with newer, better ingredients. It’s an evolving manual, not just a glimpse into history – but I wonder about the future. Would I will feel confident enough to cross out the word ‘Eggs’, replace it with ‘Fermented cells’ and let the family know that they won’t be able to tell the difference?

That day may not be far away. According to the United Nations Environment Programme, in just under 30 years the global population will increase by two billion people and the volume of food we will need to sustain everybody will be at least 50% greater than we produce now. An expanse of farmland twice the size of India will be required to accommodate the world’s food needs. Research into sustainable food and agricultural practices has two simple imperatives: to reduce the land dedicated for farming, and – while doing so – to reduce emissions.