When meat is not murder

[Rhiannon12866]

Would you eat steak if it had been grown in a petri dish?

Ian Sample, science correspondent
Saturday August 13, 2005
The Guardian

It is the ultimate conundrum for vegetarians who think that meat is murder: a revolution in processed food that will see fresh meat grown from animal cells without a single cow, sheep or pig being killed.

Researchers have published details in a biotechnology journal describing a new technique which they hailed as the answer to the world's food shortage. Lumps of meat would be cultured in laboratory vats rather than carved from livestock reared on a farm.

Scientists have adapted the cutting-edge medical technique of tissue engineering, where individual cells are multiplied into whole tissues, and applied them to food production. "With a single cell, you could theoretically produce the world's annual meat supply," said Jason Matheny, an agricultural scientist at the University of Maryland.

According to researchers, meat grown in laboratories would be more environmentally friendly and could be tailored to be healthier than farm-reared meat by controlling its nutrient content and screening it for food-borne diseases.

Vegetarians might also be tempted because the cells needed to grow chunks of meat can be taken without harming the donor animal.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/genes/article/0,2763,1548451,00.html

Sorry, but this was just so bizarre that I had to post it. Personally, this sounds worse to me than the "real thing...":puke:

[Dastard Stepchild]

1. Ohhh... I was reading about this...

It'll be these little squares of "meat." Listen people of the world, if ya can eat that crap, ya might wanna just TRY to put your lips around some tofu. I'm just sayin'. :eyes:

[Rhiannon12866]

2. I know. When I got to the part about "stretching" it, my throat closed...

But I thought that it was "out there" enough that I had to post this. Everytime you think you've heard everything...:shrug:

[Spock_is_Skeptical]

11. yick... yeah

If people can stomach that junk, tofu or mock duck just doesn't seem so "icky" after all... sheesh

[smbolisnch]

3. Uhhh, no.

I like my food, and I have no desire whatsoever to consume this crap. Sounds disgusting :puke:

[Rhiannon12866]

4. I agree. It sounds worse to me than the real thing, as I said.

Who thought that this would possibly appeal to anyone, anyway?!:shrug:

[smbolisnch]

5. I know....

Absolutely no appeal whatsoever. Ick. :scared:

[Rhiannon12866]

8. Meat eaters would certainly have no motivation to try it.

And vegetarians are absolutely grossed out by the thought. So I really can't see the point of this, at all, unless it became law that people were required to eat this instead killing animals for their meat. And that's never going to happen...:shrug:

[livinginphotographs]

9. Good point.

I wouldn't touch it with a ten-foot pole.

[Rhiannon12866]

12. I hope you realize that I didn't post this to recommend it...

But I ran across this while looking for something else and it just struck me as so bizarre that I had to share it!:wow:

Who would have come up with such an unappealing concept, anyway?!:shrug::puke:

[livinginphotographs]

13. I definitely wasn't implying that you were recommending it.

And I agree with you 100% that meat-eaters wouldn't see the point, and vegetarians would be kind of grossed out by it.

I guess it's just another cool thing scientists can do but it has very few practical uses.

[CrispyQ]

6. No temptation here.

I don't think it sounds worse than the real thing if there truly isn't any suffering involved. However, I don't think any meaters will eat it. Why would they switch? They don't care about the cruelty issue now, or the environmental or health issues.

Still, I wouldn't eat it. Like Megan says, I'm happy with the food I eat. Besides, I have Boca Chik'n patties -- who could possibly improve on those? :9

[Coventina]

7. One word: Gross

:puke:

[Piperay]

10. EXACTLY

that is the very word that came to my mind too GROSS! :puke:

[flvegan]

14. First of all, eww.

Secondly, I honestly don't think that this will ever catch on in the US. I think that there are too many folks that would be soooo creeped out by the idea that their "meat" came from a lab. Plus, they'll give it some stupid name, like "beeph" or "newmeat" that folks will be turned off by it. If it doesn't look like dead tissue, no go.

Now, selling it as McNuggets might work. Probably be more natural that the ingredients in those toxic kernals of death.

[LisaLynne]

15. As others have said, first of all, ew.

I mean, if they started doing this and there really is no suffering involved and everybody in the US or something switched to eating this type of "meat" instead of "real" meat, that would be great. I still wouldn't eat it just because I am very happy without meat and this sounds gross.