Duke's Kate Stanley - What's in that Burger?

Duke’s Kate Stanley – What’s in that Burger?

Imagine a world where, rather than slaughtering a cow to get a hamburger, a few cells can be extracted from a living cow and grown externally to produce that same juicy, flavorful burger.

It might sound like science fiction, but it’s already happening. You may be familiar with plant-based products such as Impossible Burgers and F’sh Filets. But what about fermentation-based proteins, which use microorganisms to produce alternative proteins, or the newest innovation, cell-cultivated meat?

Researchers such as Kate Stanley are helping us understand how this new food technology may impact our health, environment and laws. And how stakeholders — think health professionals, consumers, chefs, food producers and politicians — perceive and react to these products.

Stanley says that with the global population growing and environmental concerns rising, we need to find new ways to produce food.

Stanley is a postdoctoral associate at Duke University’s World Food Policy Center, which is part of a larger effort funded by the Bezos Earth Fund. The initiative, called the Bezos Center for Sustainable Protein at North Carolina State University, brings together scientists, policy experts and food researchers such as Stanley to explore alternatives to traditional meat and seafood products.

Her role focuses on policy considerations, including how governments regulate and respond to these new foods. Her research explores who decides if these products are safe and ready for sale, and how they should be labeled.

Read the full article on Duke Today

March 16, 2026