This is funny.
The cells forming the lab-grown “meat” must be grown using cell-culture media. Most cells will not grow unless they are fed serum. Specifically, this is fetal calf serum harvested by collecting the blood of fetal calves from cows at slaughter. (The fetal calves become unconscious from lack of oxygen when the mother is slaughtered. It is considered humane to drain their blood as long as they do not regain consciousness.)
So, in order to grow “meat” in the lab, pregnant cows must be slaughtered.
Might as well just eat the cows and let the scientists keep the fetal calf serum for research. That stuff is expensive... I’ve spent $1000 a liter for it (grant money, not my personal money).
Oh, and I have read a patent for lab-grown “meat.” That patent stated that the sources of cell culture media are tested for bovine spongiform encephalitis, aka “mad cow disease.” So, yeah, they’re using fetal calf serum.
The basic biological question that may or may not be solvable is how many cells can you pack in a fermenter without the cells dying in the growth process? And will that be enough cells for growing meat to be cost-effective?