Lab-Grown Meat Is Healthier. It’s Cheaper. It’s the Future

So I came across this interesting article about lab grown meats and how the future of this will be, well, put into our food supply sometime in the next 5 years.

I don't know about you guys but I am very skeptical about this new development in artificial food creation. Science thinks that it can outsmart nature by doing things not intended by nature to do. Is this wrong or is this right? Health-wise too early to tell but consumption-wise I don't know the long term implications of digesting this lab meat. My gut tells me no. My business sense tells asks me why not? If McArtificials makes chicken nuggets out of pink slime, I have no doubt this is where lab meat will end up first...in the fast food industry.

Lab-Grown Meat Is Healthier. It’s Cheaper. It’s the Future
futurism.com...

Memphis Meats is developing a way to create meat without slaughtering animals, Tyson Foods has launched a venture capital fund investing in the future of meatless meat, and Mosa Meat hopes to serve the first lab-made burger in just five years.

In 2013, it cost around $325,000 to engineer a five-ounce in vitro hamburger constructed from pieces of beef muscle tissue all grown in a lab. Now, with advances in the industry steadily pushing this field forward, the price has been whittled down to just $11.36 — that’s 30,000 times less than when it was first introduced.

I guess you can say this new kind of meat will be a win-win with animal rights enthusiasts...and to be honest I am on this side as well. On the other hand, if the animals are slaughtered in a respectful manner, then I am also on board with the farmers market. Unfortunately, if the lab meat catches on it would put a lot of economic pressures on farmers. But then again, at least you "know" you would not be ingesting any steroids or antibiotics injected into animals, nor would you be ingesting any aspects of the GMO foods and grains given to the animals.

My question is what methods do scientists use in developing such a meat and are there any "catalysts" used in the production of mass quantity?

Assuming the most ideal growing environment, stem cells can produce a lot of meat. A single turkey cell could theoretically be used to produce enough muscle to manufacture 20 trillion turkey nuggets.

Given the growing demand for food worldwide, something like this has the potential to address pressing concerns about the industrial food system.

Switching to in vitro meat will also have major environmental benefits. Today, the industrial food system’s objective is to meet the growing demand for food by raising livestock on a small amount of land and producing meat at a very affordable price. This has led to mass production livestock farms that emit massive amounts of greenhouse gases. Growing meat in labs could reduce this by 90 percent and lower land use by 99 percent.

So if it looks, smells, and tastes like chicken...it must be chicken, right? Your thoughts ATS members and are you willing to taste test such a future meat?

a reply to: Skywatcher2011

Haven't we been here before with gmos? It's healthier.. It's more sustainable.. It's the future

But oh yeah, all the data that say it's safe come from those that profit from saying it's safe.. And millions of people and even some countries are suspicious of its impact on health.

I don't like this lab business.

a reply to: Skywatcher2011

I am looking forward to trying a lab grown hamburger, especially if it doesn't have those hard bits that pop up from time to time in store bought hamburger.

But can they grow a steak in a lab?

It actually sounds like a great idea. Especially if they can keep the cost down.

Although, why Lab meat?
Wouldn't other breeds of dog produce more?

originally posted by: deadlyhope
a reply to: Skywatcher2011

Haven't we been here before with gmos? It's healthier.. It's more sustainable.. It's the future

But oh yeah, all the data that say it's safe come from those that profit from saying it's safe.. And millions of people and even some countries are suspicious of its impact on health.

I don't like this lab business.

Prescription drugs also come from a lab and people consume these too. What difference would you see with lab meat? Would there be any side effects experienced from eating this meat? Will this give rise to prescription meats?

a reply to: Skywatcher2011

I think i'd wait for a long while before trying it... see what kind of testing results come from it...

Perhaps long term effects of eating such things...

Can't see it tasting like the real thing honestly... though i suppose they could flavor said meat

Thus... additives and other lovely stuff

Pass for now...

I won't be eating any lab grown meat..

originally posted by: butcherguy
a reply to: Skywatcher2011

But can they grow a steak in a lab?

No is my guess. On the other hand there is 3D printing....

a reply to: Akragon

Taste is one thing...they can customize the flavour or you could spice it up however you want it.

The focus I would say should be on the nutritional value and economic benefits but not stray from possible side effects or your body's own adverse reaction to a lab product.

a reply to: Skywatcher2011

And you only add to my point.

Other cultures and countries cure all manner of ailments with natural medicine, herbs, diet, etc..

Look up how many people die, or have terrible side effects from prescription drugs.

I don't like labs.

a reply to: Skywatcher2011

If its lab grown meat... theres no fat, just the cells of the meat reproducing...

No bones... nothing to give said meat flavor at all...

Would it taste anything like animal meat without adding something

Doubtful

originally posted by: Skywatcher2011

originally posted by: deadlyhope
a reply to: Skywatcher2011

Haven't we been here before with gmos? It's healthier.. It's more sustainable.. It's the future

But oh yeah, all the data that say it's safe come from those that profit from saying it's safe.. And millions of people and even some countries are suspicious of its impact on health.

I don't like this lab business.

Prescription drugs also come from a lab and people consume these too. What difference would you see with lab meat? Would there be any side effects experienced from eating this meat? Will this give rise to prescription meats?

If people ate natural foods then most would not need prescription drugs either. . People will end up on even more pills eating this crap. .

Does it go Moo when you slice it? I think I'll stick to real beef to go with my beans that way everything is brown at the same time.

Id rather eat bugs than lab meat

a reply to: Nickn3

No, but they could certainly modify it to do that!

Side effects of the moo meat include delusions and naevity. Or do those come before the eating of the moo meat?

a reply to: tikbalang

Bugs are actually quite healthy, and very sustainable. Grub worms and such are a lot of protein at a fraction of what a cow takes in food and water, I think bugs are a good future.

originally posted by: tikbalang
Id rather eat bugs than lab meat

Then I think this site is for you:
entomofarms.com...

Go and try some cricket protein bars and powder...it is a new trend that is picking up in Canada.

originally posted by: deadlyhope
a reply to: Nickn3

No, but they could certainly modify it to do that!

Side effects of the moo meat include delusions and naevity. Or do those come before the eating of the moo meat?

Each burger will come with it's own ring tone you can download onto your phone. lol

No. Just no.

Have we not learned with Chinese knock off manufacturing that when you take shortcuts it ALWAYS ends up with an inferior product?

The product will be cheaper, yes but it will not taste the same. Beef grown this way has already been blind taste tested and the results were not good.

Nutritionally it will not provide the same results either - we are what we eat and the meat we eat is the same. Something grown in a petrie dish will not have the same bio available nutrients as a grass fed cow for instance.

a reply to: Skywatcher2011

Haha!

But to keep on point - I think it's interesting and cool that we think of such things, but I think the money spent making fake meat, likely could have been spent developing cow farms in areas, you know?

Everyone thinks high tech and cutting edge is better, I happen to disagree. I think old school is better until proven otherwise..