Welcome to Debate Club! Please be aware that this is a space for respectful debate, and that your ideas will be challenged here. Please remember to critique the argument, not the author.
Lab Grown Meat... would you?
Replies
-
Yes. I'm very excited for this!0
-
Can you grill it, or will they just artificially include the grill marks? Sounds yummy.1
-
TheRoadDog wrote: »Can you grill it, or will they just artificially include the grill marks? Sounds yummy.
Lab-grown meat would be meat. You could choose to grill it just as you can choose to grill meat from a slaughtered animal.
Do they artificially include grill marks on the meat you're buying right now?0 -
janejellyroll wrote: »TheRoadDog wrote: »Can you grill it, or will they just artificially include the grill marks? Sounds yummy.
Lab-grown meat would be meat. You could choose to grill it just as you can choose to grill meat from a slaughtered animal.
Do they artificially include grill marks on the meat you're buying right now?
Nope. Growing meat from a single cell in a petrie dish just doesn't sound appetizing. I suppose I could adjust though. Once we have controlled the slaughter of animals to feed humankind, we can probably start working our way down the food chain and stop wild animals from eating each other as well.4 -
Im a nurse and I love the science aspect of things and I think this is such a brilliant idea! safe for the animals. I know some people are like ew artificial meat.... but think about it. the original cells (stem cells) are taken from a cow, so the cell is a live cell, not artificial. this live cell is then placed in an environment with all the essential nutrients it needs to continue to grow. this non artificial cell (back to the beginning archived from a real animal and essentially grown. taken from the host and moved to surrogate, ie the essential environment). can continue to multiply (because that what cells do, if any one has taken anatomy/ physiology, pathophysiology, and microbiology! I know sounds super fun right ) so this cell essentially is raised and grown to the burger patty it aspired to be! and is now ready to be eaten. it is healthier. no over run with steroids or antibiotics, or whatever else they put into food for mass production for this ever growing population. personally, I totally approve!1
-
TheRoadDog wrote: »janejellyroll wrote: »TheRoadDog wrote: »Can you grill it, or will they just artificially include the grill marks? Sounds yummy.
Lab-grown meat would be meat. You could choose to grill it just as you can choose to grill meat from a slaughtered animal.
Do they artificially include grill marks on the meat you're buying right now?
Nope. Growing meat from a single cell in a petrie dish just doesn't sound appetizing. I suppose I could adjust though. Once we have controlled the slaughter of animals to feed humankind, we can probably start working our way down the food chain and stop wild animals from eating each other as well.
I can understand that. It seems that many meat eaters do have an initial emotional/disgust-based response when they think of eating lab-grown meat. If this is what you're experiencing, you certainly aren't the only one.
I'm not sure what the eating habits of animals in the wild have to do with it. As a human, I'm accustomed to expecting more from myself and those around me than we typically expect from animals in terms of moral/ethical reasoning and behavior. We don't typically don't excuse things like forced sex or infanticide because they are common in some animal communities. What we expect from ourselves, as a species, has historically been quite different from what we expect of animals who don't appear to share our capacity for moral reasoning.
8 -
I hope I live long enough for them to go mainstream...1
-
janejellyroll wrote: »TheRoadDog wrote: »janejellyroll wrote: »TheRoadDog wrote: »Can you grill it, or will they just artificially include the grill marks? Sounds yummy.
Lab-grown meat would be meat. You could choose to grill it just as you can choose to grill meat from a slaughtered animal.
Do they artificially include grill marks on the meat you're buying right now?
Nope. Growing meat from a single cell in a petrie dish just doesn't sound appetizing. I suppose I could adjust though. Once we have controlled the slaughter of animals to feed humankind, we can probably start working our way down the food chain and stop wild animals from eating each other as well.
I can understand that. It seems that many meat eaters do have an initial emotional/disgust-based response when they think of eating lab-grown meat. If this is what you're experiencing, you certainly aren't the only one.
I'm not sure what the eating habits of animals in the wild have to do with it. As a human, I'm accustomed to expecting more from myself and those around me than we typically expect from animals in terms of moral/ethical reasoning and behavior. We don't typically don't excuse things like forced sex or infanticide because they are common in some animal communities. What we expect from ourselves, as a species, has historically been quite different from what we expect of animals who don't appear to share our capacity for moral reasoning.
We'll see what happens. I'm not a hunter. Not going to go out and hunt my meals as an alternative to eating lab-grown meat. Probably not going to come to fruition in my lifetime anyways. I'm 63.0 -
janejellyroll wrote: »TheRoadDog wrote: »janejellyroll wrote: »TheRoadDog wrote: »Can you grill it, or will they just artificially include the grill marks? Sounds yummy.
Lab-grown meat would be meat. You could choose to grill it just as you can choose to grill meat from a slaughtered animal.
Do they artificially include grill marks on the meat you're buying right now?
Nope. Growing meat from a single cell in a petrie dish just doesn't sound appetizing. I suppose I could adjust though. Once we have controlled the slaughter of animals to feed humankind, we can probably start working our way down the food chain and stop wild animals from eating each other as well.
I can understand that. It seems that many meat eaters do have an initial emotional/disgust-based response when they think of eating lab-grown meat. If this is what you're experiencing, you certainly aren't the only one.
I'm not sure what the eating habits of animals in the wild have to do with it. As a human, I'm accustomed to expecting more from myself and those around me than we typically expect from animals in terms of moral/ethical reasoning and behavior. We don't typically don't excuse things like forced sex or infanticide because they are common in some animal communities. What we expect from ourselves, as a species, has historically been quite different from what we expect of animals who don't appear to share our capacity for moral reasoning.
For me, it comes down to mostly cost.
I don't cringe at the thought of killing or butchering to eat. I don't like the idea of mistreating the animal before or during, But I don't see eating meat or not as a moral question while I respect those who do.
If I could grow my own steak in the fridge, certainly I'd be in favor, although the reality is that inexpensive lab grown meat would lead to the extinction of most breeds of domestic livestock.
2 -
stanmann571 wrote: »janejellyroll wrote: »TheRoadDog wrote: »janejellyroll wrote: »TheRoadDog wrote: »Can you grill it, or will they just artificially include the grill marks? Sounds yummy.
Lab-grown meat would be meat. You could choose to grill it just as you can choose to grill meat from a slaughtered animal.
Do they artificially include grill marks on the meat you're buying right now?
Nope. Growing meat from a single cell in a petrie dish just doesn't sound appetizing. I suppose I could adjust though. Once we have controlled the slaughter of animals to feed humankind, we can probably start working our way down the food chain and stop wild animals from eating each other as well.
I can understand that. It seems that many meat eaters do have an initial emotional/disgust-based response when they think of eating lab-grown meat. If this is what you're experiencing, you certainly aren't the only one.
I'm not sure what the eating habits of animals in the wild have to do with it. As a human, I'm accustomed to expecting more from myself and those around me than we typically expect from animals in terms of moral/ethical reasoning and behavior. We don't typically don't excuse things like forced sex or infanticide because they are common in some animal communities. What we expect from ourselves, as a species, has historically been quite different from what we expect of animals who don't appear to share our capacity for moral reasoning.
For me, it comes down to mostly cost.
I don't cringe at the thought of killing or butchering to eat. I don't like the idea of mistreating the animal before or during, But I don't see eating meat or not as a moral question while I respect those who do.
If I could grow my own steak in the fridge, certainly I'd be in favor, although the reality is that inexpensive lab grown meat would lead to the extinction of most breeds of domestic livestock.
Okay, the idea of a little fridge-based station that grows your meat for you . . . that's genius!1 -
This came out yesterday:
https://medium.com/future-crunch/i-like-my-steak-lab-grown-not-grass-fed-ab78480c85db0 -
No problem if they manage to make it cheap enough and taste better. It is an attempt at a cruelty free, sustainable food source. If they can succeed with tbat, why wouldn't I try it?0
-
No problem if they manage to make it cheap enough and taste better. It is an attempt at a cruelty free, sustainable food source. If they can succeed with tbat, why wouldn't I try it?
Apparently, they're still trying to pinpoint the taste. It currently resides in the "uncanny valley". I wonder if I would like it better than slaughter meat at this stage because there is something about meat that doesn't appeal to me.1 -
amusedmonkey wrote: »No problem if they manage to make it cheap enough and taste better. It is an attempt at a cruelty free, sustainable food source. If they can succeed with tbat, why wouldn't I try it?
Apparently, they're still trying to pinpoint the taste. It currently resides in the "uncanny valley". I wonder if I would like it better than slaughter meat at this stage because there is something about meat that doesn't appeal to me.
Best and first seen use of uncanny valley in reference to food.1 -
I would absolutely not eat this lab grown meat or anything gmo if all possible. What people fail to understand is how these engineered foods can affect and irreparibly harm the genetics of you during your life and generations after you. For example GMO soy in rat studies has shown decreasing fertility each generation until the babies are eventually sterile. See articles on naturalnews.com. As the food supply continues to be polluted dna and epigenetic damage will be the result. Eating this stuff has far reaching inter-generational consequences. The best weapon is information, I reccomend you do your research.11
-
The_Hiking_Viking wrote: »I would absolutely not eat this lab grown meat or anything gmo if all possible. What people fail to understand is how these engineered foods can affect and irreparibly harm the genetics of you during your life and generations after you. For example GMO soy in rat studies has shown decreasing fertility each generation until the babies are eventually sterile. See articles on naturalnews.com. As the food supply continues to be polluted dna and epigenetic damage will be the result. Eating this stuff has far reaching inter-generational consequences. The best weapon is information, I reccomend you do your research.
What studies are you referring to here?
You realize that lab-grown meat wouldn't necessarily be genetically modified, right?3 -
The_Hiking_Viking wrote: »I would absolutely not eat this lab grown meat or anything gmo if all possible. What people fail to understand is how these engineered foods can affect and irreparibly harm the genetics of you during your life and generations after you. For example GMO soy in rat studies has shown decreasing fertility each generation until the babies are eventually sterile. See articles on naturalnews.com. As the food supply continues to be polluted dna and epigenetic damage will be the result. Eating this stuff has far reaching inter-generational consequences. The best weapon is information, I reccomend you do your research.
Food has been genetically modified for generations and the planet is still over crowded, so I find that danger highly unlikely to be true.
naturalnews is a conspiracy theory website. Snopes could spin off an entirely new website just debunking everything naturalnews publishes.
On a positive note, I think once Bigfoot finally reveals himself, he'll be supportive of lab grown meat, as a self preservation tactic.2 -
The_Hiking_Viking wrote: »I would absolutely not eat this lab grown meat or anything gmo if all possible. What people fail to understand is how these engineered foods can affect and irreparibly harm the genetics of you during your life and generations after you. For example GMO soy in rat studies has shown decreasing fertility each generation until the babies are eventually sterile. See articles on naturalnews.com. As the food supply continues to be polluted dna and epigenetic damage will be the result. Eating this stuff has far reaching inter-generational consequences. The best weapon is information, I reccomend you do your research.
Food has been genetically modified for generations and the planet is still over crowded, so I find that danger highly unlikely to be true.
naturalnews is a conspiracy theory website. Snopes could spin off an entirely new website just debunking everything naturalnews publishes.
On a positive note, I think once Bigfoot finally reveals himself, he'll be supportive of lab grown meat, as a self preservation tactic.
I'd suggest millennia, but that doesn't invalidate your point.0 -
I just can't wrap my mind around buying and eating a lab grown steak... I would imagine the flavor and texture would be off. Muscle mass that is grown and developed on a living thing has to taste different then a piece of muscle somehow grown in a lab. Although, on one hand the fact that everything is controlled in a lab setting it could turn out to be more flavorful and tender than any steak we could imagine. I would imagine ground meat would be easier to get a similar texture. But with the word "lab created" I have this mental image of going to the supermarket and picking up this square piece of pink meat in a shrink wrapped package. The front of the package says Happy Cow, Cruelty-Free Meat Product: Roast style- Beef Flavor. There is a picture of a Chibi Anime style cartoon cow smiling. Next to the item I see a sign that reads "Now with more of the beef flavor that you love! Also try our new Pork Meat!" I imagine the ingredients list on the back would be say something like "Lab grown meat, water, salt, preservatives to enhance shelf life, red color 40, & natural flavor" That just doesn't sound appetizing, lol. Not saying I wouldn't try it, I'll try anything new. I'm just not sure about it, lol.1
-
Crafty_camper123 wrote: »I just can't wrap my mind around buying and eating a lab grown steak... I would imagine the flavor and texture would be off. Muscle mass that is grown and developed on a living thing has to taste different then a piece of muscle somehow grown in a lab. Although, on one hand the fact that everything is controlled in a lab setting it could turn out to be more flavorful and tender than any steak we could imagine. I would imagine ground meat would be easier to get a similar texture. But with the word "lab created" I have this mental image of going to the supermarket and picking up this square piece of pink meat in a shrink wrapped package. The front of the package says Happy Cow, Cruelty-Free Meat Product: Roast style- Beef Flavor. There is a picture of a Chibi Anime style cartoon cow smiling. Next to the item I see a sign that reads "Now with more of the beef flavor that you love! Also try our new Pork Meat!" I imagine the ingredients list on the back would be say something like "Lab grown meat, water, salt, preservatives to enhance shelf life, red color 40, & natural flavor" That just doesn't sound appetizing, lol. Not saying I wouldn't try it, I'll try anything new. I'm just not sure about it, lol.
When my husband buys ground beef from the supermarket, it's usually square meat in a shrink-wrapped package. There are sometimes pictures of cows or bucolic farm images on his meat. There are sometimes promotional message on the package touting the flavor of the meat or even encouraging the consumer to try other products. Sometimes I notice that things like salt or natural flavors are added to meat products. Depending on the style of meat, there can be preservatives too.
So basically, I'm having trouble seeing why a specific promotional and packaging strategy that you imagine for a brand of lab-grown meat would turn you off when each thing you cited is currently used for at least some forms of meat today.
When lab-grown meat hits the market, I imagine there would be some competition and consumers would be free to support the companies that had marketing and ingredients they liked and avoid the ones they disliked, just as they do for meat today. Since it would be just meat, there's no reason to think there would be things like salt and natural flavoring added (unless it was to match a meat product that currently has those added).
When I imagine using lab-grown meat, I imagine myself . . . using some meat.2 -
I guess the image of the square meat package I had in mind was this weird looking perfectly rectangular piece of marbled meat with an almost artificial pink color to it. Tt would look like rib eye or something, but it would be almost loaf like. A loaf of meat in itself is not off-putting. Spam comes in a loaf complete with colorful packaging and weird ingredients. But I know what I am getting which is a loaf of processed meat product. I suppose lab meat would be no different. I imagine putting my square steak loaf into a pan to cook it and expecting steak, then getting... something that's not quite steak. I realize it obviously wouldn't taste the same, but the whole idea of eating something grown in a lab Is off putting to me. What if they were lab grown bananas? It still seems weird and I'm sure the texture and taste would be no where near the same as the real deal. I also imagine they would add a bunch of different ingredients to preserve freshness, and mimic the flavor or texture of real meat. I just can't imagine that they would come out with a product in it's natural form that would look taste and feel exactly like a ribeye, or a chicken breast. They would have to add a bunch of stuff to it to get it as close as possible. It wouldn't be 100% pure lab grown chicken or beef or whatever. I did read the article posted upthread, and it was saying that the first products to hit the market would be things such as chicken nuggets. It wouldn't be whole cuts of meat. That's what I have a hard time imagining(whole cuts of meat). Something like ground meat, or deli meat would likely produce a similar flavor and consistency.0
-
Crafty_camper123 wrote: »I guess the image of the square meat package I had in mind was this weird looking perfectly rectangular piece of marbled meat with an almost artificial pink color to it. Tt would look like rib eye or something, but it would be almost loaf like. A loaf of meat in itself is not off-putting. Spam comes in a loaf complete with colorful packaging and weird ingredients. But I know what I am getting which is a loaf of processed meat product. I suppose lab meat would be no different. I imagine putting my square steak loaf into a pan to cook it and expecting steak, then getting... something that's not quite steak. I realize it obviously wouldn't taste the same, but the whole idea of eating something grown in a lab Is off putting to me. What if they were lab grown bananas? It still seems weird and I'm sure the texture and taste would be no where near the same as the real deal. I also imagine they would add a bunch of different ingredients to preserve freshness, and mimic the flavor or texture of real meat. I just can't imagine that they would come out with a product in it's natural form that would look taste and feel exactly like a ribeye, or a chicken breast. They would have to add a bunch of stuff to it to get it as close as possible. It wouldn't be 100% pure lab grown chicken or beef or whatever. I did read the article posted upthread, and it was saying that the first products to hit the market would be things such as chicken nuggets. It wouldn't be whole cuts of meat. That's what I have a hard time imagining(whole cuts of meat). Something like ground meat, or deli meat would likely produce a similar flavor and consistency.
I feel like you're bringing a lot of assumptions about what this product would look and taste like. Why, for example, would they add ingredients to preserve freshness in situations where that isn't already being done for regular meat?
The goal is to grow meat in a lab. We already have meat substitutes that are designed to "mock" the flavor and texture of meat. That seems to be more like what you're imagining here.
Just as a banana grown in a lab would be a banana that grew in a lab, lab-grown meat would be still be meat. I'm unsure why you are so positive they would have to add things to it.
They do have some challenges yet to overcome, but they're working on them. Do we know everything now about how each challenge will be overcome? No, we don't. But we can do all kinds of things today that we couldn't imagine in the past and it's because people took things like this as a challenge to see what could be done.
I think this is more of an emotional reaction (which is okay, as humans we're historically been well-served by a reluctance around new foods or even aversions to them).4 -
That's one reason they're starting with things like burgers and nuggets. Personally, a perfectly square piece of steak sounds so appealing to me! Like living in the future. In fact, that "living in the future" vibe is one of the reasons I'm excited about this product.2
-
I'm OK with it if it tastes good. We eat "lab grown" stuff all the time. Beta Carotene, Bread (Xanthan Gum is lab grown), beer (yeast anyone?), algae (spirulina, astaxanthin, chlorella), yogurt, real sauerkraut. If it tastes good and the process is perfected and safe, I'm game.5
-
@janejellyroll I would agree that my reaction is most definitely emotional. I'm used to eating either meat that I have hunted myself, or that I bought at the store. All of which comes with expectations that I know and am familiar with. I am open minded enough to try any type of food at least once before dismissing it as something I don't like. Although, I have not tried very many meat substitutes before. I have seen them in the store and would have absolutely no idea what to do with them if I took them home to cook. I would try it if someone prepared it for me though. So, if a product like this were to come out on the market, I would give it a go just out of natural curiosity. But the whole idea behind it (lab meat) is still so weird and foreign to me.1
-
Crafty_camper123 wrote: »@janejellyroll I would agree that my reaction is most definitely emotional. I'm used to eating either meat that I have hunted myself, or that I bought at the store. All of which comes with expectations that I know and am familiar with. I am open minded enough to try any type of food at least once before dismissing it as something I don't like. Although, I have not tried very many meat substitutes before. I have seen them in the store and would have absolutely no idea what to do with them if I took them home to cook. I would try it if someone prepared it for me though. So, if a product like this were to come out on the market, I would give it a go just out of natural curiosity. But the whole idea behind it (lab meat) is still so weird and foreign to me.
That makes sense. I think a lot of people feel the way you do about it. It's one of the major barriers to success (other than all the obvious technical issues with creating a quality meat) that I envision.2 -
Why wouldn't I? It would probably take several years (if ever) after becoming commercially available to become widely affordable, but if I were offered to try it for free/on the cheap, I'd try it.0
-
The other reason why I have a hard time visualizing it, is that I'm not sure it would be possible to get an end product with the texture and flavor of a cut of meat. They are trying to create muscle tissue in a lab. Well, the fact that meat is coming from a living, breathing thing is what gives it the flavor and texture that it has. What the animal is doing, what it is eating, and even how it is killed all affect how that animal will taste. I suppose these are the things they would have to hash out before it became a mass produced thing. This is probably why they are going with chicken nuggets as a possible first product. The end result would probably be something that has to be ground up and put into a mold of some sort in order to be palatable. If it was a solid chunk of meat, it would probably resemble those ham or turkey loafs that you can buy in the deli and have them slice. This is why I am suspicious that the end result would not be 100% lab grown beef or chicken or whatever. And if it was in "steak" form, they would have to do something to it to get it to resemble the muscle fibers of that animal as they would be found in nature. I know I am speculating and presuming what the end result would be here. Maybe there could be advancements in technology that would figure that out, but I have my doubts.0
-
Crafty_camper123 wrote: »The other reason why I have a hard time visualizing it, is that I'm not sure it would be possible to get an end product with the texture and flavor of a cut of meat. They are trying to create muscle tissue in a lab. Well, the fact that meat is coming from a living, breathing thing is what gives it the flavor and texture that it has. What the animal is doing, what it is eating, and even how it is killed all affect how that animal will taste. I suppose these are the things they would have to hash out before it became a mass produced thing. This is probably why they are going with chicken nuggets as a possible first product. The end result would probably be something that has to be ground up and put into a mold of some sort in order to be palatable. If it was a solid chunk of meat, it would probably resemble those ham or turkey loafs that you can buy in the deli and have them slice. This is why I am suspicious that the end result would not be 100% lab grown beef or chicken or whatever. And if it was in "steak" form, they would have to do something to it to get it to resemble the muscle fibers of that animal as they would be found in nature. I know I am speculating and presuming what the end result would be here. Maybe there could be advancements in technology that would figure that out, but I have my doubts.
The texture and flavor related to muscle are the specific things they're working on.
Keep in mind, this isn't something they're planning on putting on shelves next week (that I'm aware of). The things you're thinking of are all legitimate technical issues to consider, but they are technical issues that the companies working on this have already thought it.
When I went vegan ten years ago, the idea of a vegan cheese that melted seemed ridiculous. But now it's fairly commonplace. And they didn't even have serious scientists working on that one! Egg substitutes have also progressed amazingly in the past decade. To think that we'll *never* be able to tackle this problem when we're walked on the moon and almost eradicated polio just doesn't ring true to me. We're a species of problem-solvers (who also frequently create other problems when we're solving stuff).2 -
janejellyroll wrote: »[quote="Crafty_camper123;c-41750598" To think that we'll *never* be able to tackle this problem when we're walked on the moon and almost eradicated polio just doesn't ring true to me. We're a species of problem-solvers (who also frequently create other problems when we're solving stuff).
How very true! We as humans may come up with something that would completely blow our minds. Like I said earlier due to the fact it is created in a controlled setting, they could come up with a meat that is always perfectly marbled and fork tender. But there are limitations to biology in general and what they could probably do with it in a lab setting. They make gemstones that are molecularly identical to what is mined from our ground. They are of a higher quality and more perfect then mined gemstones since there aren't any imperfections or inclusions in them. I suppose it's possible they could eventually do the same with biological matter such has meat, or plants even.2
This discussion has been closed.
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 393.3K Introduce Yourself
- 43.8K Getting Started
- 260.2K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.9K Food and Nutrition
- 47.4K Recipes
- 232.5K Fitness and Exercise
- 424 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.5K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 153K Motivation and Support
- 8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.7K MyFitnessPal Information
- 24 News and Announcements
- 1.1K Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.6K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions