Jon Kung, a chef and content creator, teams up with Uma Valeti, a pioneering cardiologist and developer of a healthier meat alternative. They explore the deep connections between food, culture, and health, sharing personal stories from their kitchens and practices. The duo discusses the challenges of redefining traditional meat perceptions with lab-grown options and the importance of culinary innovation in promoting sustainability. Their insights inspire a shift towards healthier and more sustainable cooking practices that can influence our communities and the planet.

Uma Valeti, a cardiologist and entrepreneur, co-founded Upside Foods to revolutionize how we view meat. He argues that cultivated meat, grown from animal cells, could replace traditional methods while saving billions of animal lives and benefiting human health. Valeti discusses the emotional conflicts of meat consumption and the urgent need for sustainable alternatives. Highlighting the rapid growth of cultivated meat, he envisions a future where this innovation becomes a staple in our diets, reshaping food systems and aligning with ethical considerations.

Dr. Uma Valeti, founder and CEO of UPSIDE Foods and former cardiologist, dives into the revolutionary field of cultivated meat. He shares the science behind growing real meat without traditional farming, tackling global food security and environmental concerns. Uma discusses the innovative processes that create lab-grown chicken and his personal journey from medicine to food tech. Listeners are invited to explore the ethical implications and taste the future of meat, bridging gaps between vegans and meat lovers.

Uma Valeti, a cardiologist and entrepreneur, advocates for cultivated meat as a revolutionary alternative to traditional farming. He shares his personal journey, revealing the ethical dilemmas posed by meat production. Valeti highlights the environmental promises of cultivated meat, poised to save billions of animals while addressing health concerns. He discusses recent regulatory successes and the rapid growth of this industry, emphasizing its delicious potential and the need for collaboration in creating a sustainable future for food.

The idea came to Uma Valeti while he was working on regrowing human tissue to help heart attack patients: If we can grow tissue from cells in a lab, why not use animal cells to grow meat? Food production accounts for as much as a third of the world's greenhouse gas emissions. The idea behind cultivated meat is to help feed the world while dramatically reducing human contributions to global warming and avoiding killing animals. NPR Health Correspondent Allison Aubrey has been visiting production facilities and talking with both food and climate scientists to understand how far away lab-grown meat is from store shelves, and what a meal of cultivated chicken tastes like.We'd love to hear your thoughts on our show. Take our survey: npr.org/shortwavesurvey Reach the show by emailing shortwave@npr.org.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy