Today I stumbled upon an article in Science Illustrated about the possibility of growing meat in the lab for human consumption. In order to do this, a stem cell called a satellite cell is taken from an animal's muscle or the umbilical cord and is then persuaded to differentiate into a muscle cell. From this, large quantities of muscle cells are grown which then form a muscle tissue. Each cell has the potential to create 100 kilograms of meat, making it an extremely efficient form of meat production.
The advantages of lab-grown meat?
- the environmental impact of production is reduced
- nutrient content can be customised, i.e. iron content can be increased
- there are no animal wastes and no animals need be killed in order to complete this process
- the meat is a cleaner product, i.e. it has not been pumped with antibiotics or stimulated with growth hormones
I wouldn't personally eat it, because I stopped eating meat due to disliking the taste, along with the obvious health and cruelty reasons.
I do, however think this is great for people who want to eat meat but don't want animals to suffer for it. We all know we're never going to see a vegan world - so this is a step in the right direction!
I would eat it. Although I don't miss meat at all, I do miss the 'ease' of cooking with it and the menu flexibility and I used to enjoy it when I was a meat eater.
I would also strongly support the product, anything that helps animals, the environment and the ability to have a healthier food product is a win.
I am paranoid though and I would be a bit fearful that eating it could cause harm coz it's not natural.. what could it do to our bodies?? Though I am sure they would know the answer to that before releasing it, also it probably would be no worse than all the other artificial crap that is in food these days.
Just had a thought.
It is a bit like cloning? I don't really understand. But if they manipulate an animal cell in to meat.... does that mean it will have the same good nutrients..and would B12 exist in such meat or would it need to come from natural meat?
It would be awesome if we could get a cruelty free but guaranteed source of B12... but it seems so nit picky about how it develops in everything that I don't see how lab meat could have it.. :S
Wow thats real intersting stuff! How far we have gone hey?
Well i'd give it a go, my only worries are short term and long term possible sid effects (eg. cancers, health complications, ect..), once they rule out those, then i'll be straight on it!
I wouldn't eat it because it's still animal flesh. And that's just disgusting. But I would recommend it to anyone who eats meat, because there's no horrible life and slow painful death involved.
It would be nice if they could one day do this with dairy and eggs. Give the chickens and cows a well deserved brake!
I wouldn't eat it as it's still from an animal and not cruelty free.
I'd recommend it to omni's though as it's less cruel.
ok my carnivore friend was reading this and is curious....
"how would it be cruel if they extract the cells from an animal and grow it?
theres no slaughtering... nothink! They don't have to die for it."
I wouldn't eat it as it's still from an animal and not cruelty free.
I'd recommend it to omni's though as it's less cruel.
ok my carnivore friend was reading this and is curious....
"how would it be cruel if they extract the cells from an animal and grow it?
theres no slaughtering... nothink! They don't have to die for it."
Exactly that. ^ No animals are harmed during the process. It's entirely cruelty free.
