Washington: Poop! The mere mention of it make us leave the dinner table, but how about if you have to eat it?
Now, Japanese researchers have synthesized meat from proteins found in human waste.
While the concept of chowing down on steak derived from poop may not exactly be appetizing, the question is if it is safe.
In theory, yes, say experts. But the meat must be cooked, which will kill any noxious pathogens before you eat it, according to a report in Digital Trends.
“In the food safety world we say, ‘don`t eat poop.’ But if you`re going to, make sure it`s cooked,” the website quoted Douglas Powell, a professor of food safety at Kansas State University as saying, reports Live Science.
The poop-meat concoction is prepared by extracting the basic elements of food — protein, carbohydrates and fats — from bacteria in sewage and recombining them.
The meat is made from 63 percent proteins, 25 percent carbohydrates, 3 percent lipids and 9 percent minerals, according to the website.
Soy protein is added to the mix to increase the flavor, and food coloring is used to make the product appear red.
The researchers came up with the idea after Tokyo Sewage asked them to figure out a use for the abundance of sewage in mud, said Digital Trends.
Powell said the idea is not all that different from eating plants that have been fertilized with manure or other excrement, because the nutrients in the poop become part of the plants.
“Theoretically, there`s nothing wrong with this. It could be quite safe to eat, but I`m sure there`s a yuck factor there,” he added.
ANI
