Lab-Grown Meat? It May Be a More Compassionate Choice

If you love meat but hate the idea of killing farm animals or damaging the environment to raise them, then take heed: Scientists are developing potential alternatives. Several companies are working on creating meat in labs using stem cells (unspecified cells that can be induced to become cells with a particular function) from animals.

Memphis Meats in San Francisco says it has grown small amounts of meat using cells from cows, pigs and chickens. Two other businesses are working on similar ideas: Mosa Meat, a Dutch company that debuted a lab-created meat burger in 2013; and Modern Meadow, a New York company that hopes to use the same technology to make animal leather—without animals.