€287k test-tube burger on menu

A slice of history will be served on Monday when the world’s first test-tube burger, made from lab-grown meat, is cooked and eaten in London.

The five-ounce patty, which cost £250,000 (€287,634) to produce, will be dished up by its creator before an invited audience at a secret location.

Scientist-turned-chef Professor Mark Post produced the burger from 20,000 tiny strips of meat grown from cow stem cells.

He believes it could herald a food revolution with artificial meat products appearing in supermarkets in as little as 10 years.

Prof Post’s team at the University of Maastricht in the Netherlands conducted experiments which progressed from mouse meat to pork and finally beef.

He said: “What we are going to attempt is important because I hope it will show cultured beef has the answers to major problems that the world faces.

“Our burger is made from muscle cells taken from a cow. We haven’t altered them in any way. For it to succeed it has to look, feel and hopefully taste like the real thing.”

The demonstration was originally planned to take place October last year with celebrity chef Heston Blumenthal cooking the burger for a mystery guest.