I hadn’t even considered that lab grown meat might be cleaner than animal meat. That’s a really compelling selling point. It’s also not as though meat alternatives aren’t out there, so it might be...
I hadn’t even considered that lab grown meat might be cleaner than animal meat. That’s a really compelling selling point.
It’s also not as though meat alternatives aren’t out there, so it might be easier than we think to get people to try it (provided that the cost is competitive).
Cost of production has been the primary hold back but its coming down rapidly. I personally have mixed feelings about it. I think taste, texture will all important and the inclusion of fats in the...
Cost of production has been the primary hold back but its coming down rapidly. I personally have mixed feelings about it.
I think taste, texture will all important and the inclusion of fats in the meats (which IIRC has been a problem). If it is like other meat substitutes in texture/taste but more expensive then I don't see this as a good alternative.
I am all for lowering the environmental impacts of factory farms for livestock as well as for much better treatment of the animals themselves.
Foodies may balk particularly if the all important fat content isn't reproduced at least in part.
For meat a big part of what makes it is the experience. A nice steak, an awesome burger, crisp bacon. Those won't really work without "real" meat I think. Salami or other sausages to slap on a...
For meat a big part of what makes it is the experience. A nice steak, an awesome burger, crisp bacon. Those won't really work without "real" meat I think. Salami or other sausages to slap on a bread could easily be replaced for me though
Oh definitely. I don’t know if grown meat could ever come close to the textures of a whole cut of meat. But like you said, deli meats and ground meats, that a few passes through a grinder away...
Oh definitely. I don’t know if grown meat could ever come close to the textures of a whole cut of meat. But like you said, deli meats and ground meats, that a few passes through a grinder away from having no inherent texture at all, I can see grown meat subbing there.
I assure you that "deli" meat made in italy would have quite a different taste from the one grown in lab. However, as I've grown accustomed to eating "vegetarian" sausages and only meat sausages...
I assure you that "deli" meat made in italy would have quite a different taste from the one grown in lab.
However, as I've grown accustomed to eating "vegetarian" sausages and only meat sausages once in a while, I suppose I could get used to lab meat and reserve real meat as a delicacy to eat only once in a while. Surely lab meat cannot be worse than veggies that try and pass for meat.
See, I’d be all over paying more for this. I still eat meat, but I do worry about both the environment and the ethics of killing an animal to eat it. I’d take a price premium to go guilt free...
See, I’d be all over paying more for this. I still eat meat, but I do worry about both the environment and the ethics of killing an animal to eat it. I’d take a price premium to go guilt free here.
I just don’t want “cultured meat” to become synonymous with mystery meat. The real challenge here is to maintain the perception of quality and avoid a race to the bottom.
I enjoy this podcast episode about the topic. https://www.startalkradio.net/show/clean-meat-with-paul-shapiro/ It suggest that just as muscle is designed to grow in certain patterns, it is not...
I enjoy this podcast episode about the topic. https://www.startalkradio.net/show/clean-meat-with-paul-shapiro/
It suggest that just as muscle is designed to grow in certain patterns, it is not crazy to think that they could grow strains of muscle alongside with growing strains of fat. Eventually they may be able to not only grow marbled meat, but they may be able to design the ideal marbled meat; it could be a taste improvement to natural meat.
I'm sure what's already being produced is more than acceptable for meat paste products like hot dogs, hamburgers, sausages, meatballs and lunch meats. I'm OK with referring to it as "cultured...
I'm sure what's already being produced is more than acceptable for meat paste products like hot dogs, hamburgers, sausages, meatballs and lunch meats.
I'm OK with referring to it as "cultured meat", since that's technically accurate - it's still animal tissue, but grown in industrial-scale culture rather than from live animals. There's a potential dictionary war here, as "meat" is definitionally "the flesh of an animal used as food".
"Cultured" is also a marketing term of art that's been used previously with cultured pearls, which are biological products chemically identical to the natural item and potentially more desirable because more uniform. "Engineered" might be the most descriptive term, but that's not likely to fly off the shelf.
The animal farmers have a legitimate interest in distinguishing the natural product from a product that may taste different and have different nutritional properties, such as the fat content mentioned above. I'm guessing it will be a while before the cultured meats have structural and chemical properties similar enough to meat from animals that exercise and have varied diets.
However, in many ways, factory-farmed animals are already raised as if they're just meat cultures, with side orders of suffering and antibiotic-resistant pathogens, bred and selected for production rather than to promote optimal human nutrition.
I'd be very curious about the end-to-end environmental impact of cultured meat production - do the protein feedstocks require cheap inputs from animal sources too undesirable to eat directly (butchering wastes, yeasts, krill, insects, etc.), how much energy and water does it take to create a kilogram of tissue, what the waste stream is like, how much antimicrobial or detergent input is required to keep the production facilities sanitary, before I come to any conclusions about whether this process is an unalloyed good, or can be called "clean".
As to the foodies, there will always be cachet in eating the most "artisanal" preparation. Once the tissue culture and fabrication technologies get sorted out to produce something fairly close to the natural material, live animal meat may become a niche luxury product (which is what it should always have been, IMHO, for ethical, environmental and health purposes).
You prompted me to dig a little deeper into the subject as these are important questions. I've been following this for awhile but only had a very rudimentary understanding of the overall process;...
I'd be very curious about the end-to-end environmental impact of cultured meat production - do the protein feedstocks require cheap inputs from animal sources too undesirable to eat directly (butchering wastes, yeasts, krill, insects, etc.), how much energy and water does it take to create a kilogram of tissue, what the waste stream is like, how much antimicrobial or detergent input is required to keep the production facilities sanitary, before I come to any conclusions about whether this process is an unalloyed good, or can be called "clean".
You prompted me to dig a little deeper into the subject as these are important questions. I've been following this for awhile but only had a very rudimentary understanding of the overall process; as it turns out there are several different means of production.
Although a bit dated (late 2015) this article contains more technical information and outlines the different processes and some of the concerns about them. I found it a fascinating read.
Abstract
Due to the nutritional importance and the sustained popularity of meat as a foodstuff, the livestock production sector has been expanding incessantly. This exponential growth of livestock meat sector poses a gigantic challenge to the sustainability of food production system. A new technological breakthrough is being contemplated to develop a substitute for livestock meat. The idea is to grow meat in a culture in the lab and manipulate its composition selectively. This paper aims to discuss the concept of In Vitro Meat production system, articulate the underlying technology and analyse the context of its implications, as proposed by several scientists and stakeholders. The challenges facing this emerging technology have also been discussed.
There are some additional answers in simple format here - https://www.fastcompany.com/40565582/lab-grown-meat-is-getting-cheap-enough-for-anyone-to-buy The economics described are astounding, the...
The economics described are astounding, the short time to market is encouraging, and it sounds like the source materials are pretty basic; no need to use animal-sourced materials at all.
It's coming soon to grocery store shelves probably by 2020. A Belgian company is preparing for mass production now. I vote to call it Franken-Food since it is 'seeded' from animal tissue. Will I...
It's coming soon to grocery store shelves probably by 2020. A Belgian company is preparing for mass production now.
I vote to call it Franken-Food since it is 'seeded' from animal tissue. Will I try it, probably. Will you?
I wonder if lab grown meat will be considered Kosher, Halal, etc.?
I'd like to see an energy audit and comparison between the cultured 'meat' and regeneratively-grown meat. We can all agree that the current system of deforesting, grain-fed, feed-lot,...
I'd like to see an energy audit and comparison between the cultured 'meat' and regeneratively-grown meat. We can all agree that the current system of deforesting, grain-fed, feed-lot, highly-polluting method of meat production is terrible but if people ate less and only ate meat that was being used appropriately to store carbon or reforesting through silvopasture methods then which one is better for the environment?
I live in a rural area that has been horribly cleared and just taking the cows away won't work in regenerating forest, it will require fossil fuel and possibly herbicide to control the rampant growth (with fire as well being an potential issue). I agree that bad beef management in this case is horribly bad for the environment but can we eat less and do it better? Perhaps urban centres need to move to cultured meat only.
I hadn’t even considered that lab grown meat might be cleaner than animal meat. That’s a really compelling selling point.
It’s also not as though meat alternatives aren’t out there, so it might be easier than we think to get people to try it (provided that the cost is competitive).
Cost of production has been the primary hold back but its coming down rapidly. I personally have mixed feelings about it.
I think taste, texture will all important and the inclusion of fats in the meats (which IIRC has been a problem). If it is like other meat substitutes in texture/taste but more expensive then I don't see this as a good alternative.
I am all for lowering the environmental impacts of factory farms for livestock as well as for much better treatment of the animals themselves.
Foodies may balk particularly if the all important fat content isn't reproduced at least in part.
For meat a big part of what makes it is the experience. A nice steak, an awesome burger, crisp bacon. Those won't really work without "real" meat I think. Salami or other sausages to slap on a bread could easily be replaced for me though
Oh definitely. I don’t know if grown meat could ever come close to the textures of a whole cut of meat. But like you said, deli meats and ground meats, that a few passes through a grinder away from having no inherent texture at all, I can see grown meat subbing there.
I assure you that "deli" meat made in italy would have quite a different taste from the one grown in lab.
However, as I've grown accustomed to eating "vegetarian" sausages and only meat sausages once in a while, I suppose I could get used to lab meat and reserve real meat as a delicacy to eat only once in a while. Surely lab meat cannot be worse than veggies that try and pass for meat.
I think the jury is still out particularly with the fattier meats. However, chicken and duck seem to have had success.
http://www.iflscience.com/technology/worlds-first-labgrown-chicken-has-been-tasted-and-apparently-its-delicious/
It is actual meat, as in tissue rather than some approximation of tissue.
It won't be long until we'll be able to judge for ourselves. It is intriguing.
Indeed, one of the most exiting develooments to watch over the coming decade(s)
Definitely agree for a good steak or burger.
I do think there's a lot of processed fast food meat that could be replace too.
See, I’d be all over paying more for this. I still eat meat, but I do worry about both the environment and the ethics of killing an animal to eat it. I’d take a price premium to go guilt free here.
I just don’t want “cultured meat” to become synonymous with mystery meat. The real challenge here is to maintain the perception of quality and avoid a race to the bottom.
I enjoy this podcast episode about the topic.
https://www.startalkradio.net/show/clean-meat-with-paul-shapiro/
It suggest that just as muscle is designed to grow in certain patterns, it is not crazy to think that they could grow strains of muscle alongside with growing strains of fat. Eventually they may be able to not only grow marbled meat, but they may be able to design the ideal marbled meat; it could be a taste improvement to natural meat.
I'm sure what's already being produced is more than acceptable for meat paste products like hot dogs, hamburgers, sausages, meatballs and lunch meats.
I'm OK with referring to it as "cultured meat", since that's technically accurate - it's still animal tissue, but grown in industrial-scale culture rather than from live animals. There's a potential dictionary war here, as "meat" is definitionally "the flesh of an animal used as food".
"Cultured" is also a marketing term of art that's been used previously with cultured pearls, which are biological products chemically identical to the natural item and potentially more desirable because more uniform. "Engineered" might be the most descriptive term, but that's not likely to fly off the shelf.
The animal farmers have a legitimate interest in distinguishing the natural product from a product that may taste different and have different nutritional properties, such as the fat content mentioned above. I'm guessing it will be a while before the cultured meats have structural and chemical properties similar enough to meat from animals that exercise and have varied diets.
However, in many ways, factory-farmed animals are already raised as if they're just meat cultures, with side orders of suffering and antibiotic-resistant pathogens, bred and selected for production rather than to promote optimal human nutrition.
I'd be very curious about the end-to-end environmental impact of cultured meat production - do the protein feedstocks require cheap inputs from animal sources too undesirable to eat directly (butchering wastes, yeasts, krill, insects, etc.), how much energy and water does it take to create a kilogram of tissue, what the waste stream is like, how much antimicrobial or detergent input is required to keep the production facilities sanitary, before I come to any conclusions about whether this process is an unalloyed good, or can be called "clean".
As to the foodies, there will always be cachet in eating the most "artisanal" preparation. Once the tissue culture and fabrication technologies get sorted out to produce something fairly close to the natural material, live animal meat may become a niche luxury product (which is what it should always have been, IMHO, for ethical, environmental and health purposes).
You prompted me to dig a little deeper into the subject as these are important questions. I've been following this for awhile but only had a very rudimentary understanding of the overall process; as it turns out there are several different means of production.
Although a bit dated (late 2015) this article contains more technical information and outlines the different processes and some of the concerns about them. I found it a fascinating read.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4648904/
There are some additional answers in simple format here - https://www.fastcompany.com/40565582/lab-grown-meat-is-getting-cheap-enough-for-anyone-to-buy
The economics described are astounding, the short time to market is encouraging, and it sounds like the source materials are pretty basic; no need to use animal-sourced materials at all.
If it looks like meat, smells like meat, tastes like meat, and interacts with my body like meat... then yeah, I'm gonna say it's meat.
It's coming soon to grocery store shelves probably by 2020. A Belgian company is preparing for mass production now.
I vote to call it Franken-Food since it is 'seeded' from animal tissue. Will I try it, probably. Will you?
I wonder if lab grown meat will be considered Kosher, Halal, etc.?
Apologies! Here is another regarding the same topic. If you can't access this, I'll paste one for you.
https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2018/07/20/war-of-words-over-what-to-call-lab-grown-meat-exposes-divide-in-americas-food-culture/
Does anyone know if there are rules here about copy/pasting whole articles?
IDK and I'm reluctant to do it.
I’d happily try it. But Franken-food sounds repulsive.
I could imagine marketers labeling it "cruelty-free meat". Depending on price i would try it for cheaper cuts, maybe burgers or fajitas.
I'd like to see an energy audit and comparison between the cultured 'meat' and regeneratively-grown meat. We can all agree that the current system of deforesting, grain-fed, feed-lot, highly-polluting method of meat production is terrible but if people ate less and only ate meat that was being used appropriately to store carbon or reforesting through silvopasture methods then which one is better for the environment?
I live in a rural area that has been horribly cleared and just taking the cows away won't work in regenerating forest, it will require fossil fuel and possibly herbicide to control the rampant growth (with fire as well being an potential issue). I agree that bad beef management in this case is horribly bad for the environment but can we eat less and do it better? Perhaps urban centres need to move to cultured meat only.
With each passing year, Atwood's Oryx and Crake seems more and more prescient. Here's an article addressing this from way back in 2009.