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01 / 05
The New Bacon Safe for Some People Allergic to Red Meat

Associated Press | Food Production

The New Bacon Safe for Some People Allergic to Red Meat

“Some people who develop a weird and terrifying allergy to red meat after a bite from a lone star tick can still eat pork from a surprising source: Genetically modified pigs created for organ transplant research…

The allergy is called alpha-gal syndrome, named for a sugar that’s present in the tissues of nearly all mammals – except for people and some of our primate cousins. It can cause a serious reaction hours after eating beef, pork or any other red meat, or certain mammalian products such as milk or gelatin.

But where does organ transplantation come in? There aren’t enough donated human organs to go around so researchers are trying to use organs from pigs instead — and that same alpha-gal sugar is a big barrier. It causes the human immune system to immediately destroy a transplanted organ from an ordinary pig. So the first gene that Revivicor inactivated as it began genetically modifying pigs for animal-to-human transplants was the one that produces alpha-gal.

While xenotransplants still are experimental, Revivicor’s ‘GalSafe’ pigs won Food and Drug Administration approval in 2020 to be used as a source of food, and a potential source for human therapeutics. The FDA determined there was no detectable level of alpha-gal across multiple generations of the pigs.”

From Associated press.

Associated Press | Leisure

Here’s How AI Is Helping Make Your Wine

“As AI continues to grow, experts say that the wine industry is proof that businesses can integrate the technology efficiently to supplement labor without displacing a workforce. New agricultural tech like AI can help farmers to cut back on waste, and to run more efficient and sustainable vineyards by monitoring water use and helping determine when and where to use products like fertilizers or pest control. AI-backed tractors and irrigation systems, farmer say, can minimize water use by analyzing soil or vines, while also helping farmers to manage acres of vineyards by providing more accurate data on the health of a crop or what a season’s yield will be.

Other facets of the wine industry have also started adopting the tech, from using generative AI to create custom wine labels to turning to ChatGPT to develop, label and price an entire bottle.”

From Associated Press.

CNN | Food Production

“World’s First” Lab-Grown Meat for Pets Launches in the UK

“In what’s been called a world first, consumers in the UK are now able to buy a pet treat made with lab-grown meat.

The treat contains plant-based ingredients and 4% chicken meat cultivated in a lab by Meatly, a London-based startup that last year became the first company in the world to get regulatory approval for this type of meat to be used in pet food.”

From CNN.

Bloomberg | Food Production

Artificial Insemination Is Creating Better Cattle

“At his ranch in southwest Nigeria, Moyosore Rafiu watches as an artificial insemination specialist carefully inspects whether his cows are ready. If he gets the nod, another part of his herd will be impregnated with imported semen from the hardy Girolando breed from Brazil.

Switching to cattle that can withstand the African climate means twice the milk and more income for Rafiu. But it could also be a game changer for Nigeria, home to one of the world’s most food insecure populations…

The potential for growth is huge. On average, a Nigerian cow yields less than 1 liter of milk a day compared with 26 liters in the Netherlands and 30 liters in the US, according to data from the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization. A Girolando can yield about 20 liters.”

From Bloomberg.

ISAAA | Pollution

High-Yield Rice Emits up to 70 Percent Less Methane

“Rice, one of the world’s key staples, is responsible for 12 percent of global methane emissions. Now, an international team of scientists has identified chemical compounds released by rice roots that determine how much methane the plants emit…

When the research team grew these low fumarate and high ethanol (LFHE) rice varieties at various field sites throughout China, the LFHE rice produced 70 percent less methane on average compared with the elite variety from which it was bred. The LFHE crops also have high yields at yields—8.96 tons/hectare on average, compared to the 2024 global average of 4.71 tons/hectare.”

From ISAAA.