Cultured meat
Over the past years people started to pay more
attention to what they eat. Many of them have decided to stop eating meat for
various reasons. The concern about animal welfare seems to be the most popular
reason. For those who like the taste of meet and don’t accept cruelty toward
animals scientists have created cultured meat.
Cultured meat is a meat produced from animals’ cells. The
process is similar to regenerative medicine and uses many techniques from
tissue engineering. The popularization of this concept was started in 2000s by
Jason Matheny. Cellular agriculture can provide meat that looks and tastes
almost exactly like ordinary meat but without making damage to our climate. In
the past years, scientists have been constantly trying to make the cultured
meat look and taste better.
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| https://www.sgs.com/en/news/2018/10/cultured-meat-the-challenges-ahead |
The costs needed to produce the regular meat are high
and harmful for our environment. Animal farming contributes to greenhouse gas
emission, poor animal welfare and has the effect on people’s health. Meat today
contains a lot of growth hormones that were used on animals to increase the
production. The idea with cell grown meat shows us that this problem could be
solved without people having to give up on meat. Research shows that cultured
meat would be much less toxic for the environment than slaughtered meat. In
case to produce 2,2 kg beef meat 9500 litres of water are needed!
In 2013 there was a conference during which first
public trials of growing meat in the lab conditions were done. Scientists from
Maastricht University in the Netherlands took stem cells from a cow and made
first cultured burger. The burger was later cooked by the chef Richard McGeown and
tasted by the food researcher Hanni Rützler. She said:
“There is really a bite to it,
there is quite some flavour with the browning. I know there is no fat in it so
I didn't really know how juicy it would be, but there is quite some intense
taste; it's close to meat, it's not that juicy, but the consistency is perfect.
This is meat to me... It's really something to bite on and I think the look is
quite similar.”
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| https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultured_meat#/media/File:Hanni_R%C3%BCtzler_tastes_world's_first_cultured_hamburger.png |
Rützler said that even in a blind test she wouldn't recognize that the burger wasn't real.
Last research from Tufts Univeristy-led shows that
addition of the iron-carrying protein myoglobin is necessary in case to grow
muscles in cells. Myoglobin make it also possible to receive meat that smells,
looks and tastes like original meat. This research shows result of adding heme
proteins to cell media that makes the cell-grown meat look very similar to the
real one. This can be a huge step for convincing people to give up on the traditional
meat.
The biggest problem right now with running big scale
campaign is whether the product will be accepted by the customers.
1. What is your opinion about the topic?
2.
Would you start to eat cultured meat
instead of the traditional one? Why/Why not?
3.
Do you think that traditional meat
industry is ethical?
Source:
Comments
1. What is your opinion about the topic?
I don't trust such inventions before their long-term research and tests. I think that nature modifying and interfering can lead to unexpected consequences. Everyday we hear about researches that prove fallacy of past researches, which was telling that something is harmless and people can use it without any consequences.
2. Would you start to eat cultured meat instead of the traditional one? Why/Why not?
Not before long-term research, for many years and many tests. I believe in nature and not modified by human products. There are topics and spaces where people shouldn't interfere.
3. Do you think that traditional meat industry is ethical?
As we all know, the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Such solution may has good causes but we don't know what will happen in the future. Maybe that invention is the first step to the end of the world? Or maybe it will save animals and whole environment? I prefer to be careful and don't trust in everything I hear and think about possible consequences.
2. Yes but only when there would be proof that it is safe for our life. As I said before it would make less damage to the climate.
3. Unfortunately, this is the way we live. I like it because of its taste. Also, meat has some vitamins that are not present in such concentrations in vegetables.
I do not eat meat and I would stay with it, even with option of having this regular meat.
2.Would you start to eat cultured meat instead of the traditional one? Why/Why not?
No, as I said above.
3.Do you think that traditional meat industry is ethical?
I stay away from this topic and for me meat industry is not ethical not just traditional.
I have never heard of such a phenomenon before, and it's quite interesting. I think it would be a real revolution in the meat industry. Replace traditional meat with cultured meat. If the taste, texture, and smell of meat were the same as that of traditional meat, I don't see any obstacles. I am very curious how this product would taste. Of course, everything is for the environment and our health. I am very interested and positive about the topic, I give the green light to the introduction of cultured meat for everyday use.
2. Would you start to eat cultured meat instead of the traditional one? Why/Why not?
As I mentioned, of course I would give new meat a chance. The main reason is care for our planet. If it turned out that the taste would not be much different from traditional meat, I would eat it at every meal, where I would normally consume ordinary meat.
3. Do you think that traditional meat industry is ethical?
I have no opinion on this topic. However, I am more inclined to the opinion that the traditional meat industry is not ethical. We often hear about the practices used on production lines in major factories, where quantity, not quality, is what counts. By excluding traditional meat, we would save many lives of animals and deny the bad practices of mass production.
2. Yes, I would. There are almost no reasons not to do so. We can of course be a little bit afraid to trust something new, as there may be some unexpected side effects, but besides that, all arguments support this idea. It is healthier, fully ethical and if the demand grows, it would eventually become cheap as well.
3. No. Isn’t it obvious? We’re all hypocrites, including myself. I eat meat even though I know what kind of suffer do animals experience. I am just too lazy to change this and moreover I don’t believe that anything can be improved in that matter without forcing people to change their behaviour. That will of course not happen because a lot of people would lose tremendous amounts of money.
I think it's a good idea not to eat real meat and replace it with a similarly tasty substitute. Animal farming and meat production are very harmful to the environment.
2. Would you start to eat cultured meat instead of the traditional one? Why/Why not?
I wouldn't start eating farmed meat because I don't eat any meat and I don't feel the need to eat it.
3. Do you think that traditional meat industry is ethical?
I think the meat industry is unethical. The treatment of animals is cruel and inhumane. The meat currently produced is filled with chemicals, which makes it very unhealthy for us. In addition, the production of meat is harmful to our planet.
2. If the cultivated meat will not be harmful and will be useful - then definitely yes. Yes, because the meat industry is really cruel.
3. The meat industry is very violent. Though these animals were raised for slaughter, they do not deserve such treatment and such death.
2. Maybe. I am not sure if it is actually healthier than meat from traditional industry.
3. The meat industry isn’t ethical, it’s brutal. The animals are bemused, stuffed with drugs and hormones, killed and kept in inhuman conditions. It’s not ethical.
It seems very promising. I support this movement and I will be happy to follow the next steps of it.
2. Would you start to eat cultured meat instead of the traditional one? Why/Why not?
I would certainly try this cultured meat. If it really tasted like the real one and did not have any additional cons while having all the pros of real meat, I would definitely consider changing my eating habbits and moving to the cultured meat. I would do that because then the real meat would be replacable and it could save a lot of animals.
3. Do you think that traditional meat industry is ethical?
The main idea behind it is not unethical for me, but there are unfortunately many companies in the industry that are completely untethical due to their brutal processes.
2. If the cultured meat was widely available I would definitely switch.
3. There is nothing wrong in using the resources itself, but the way it is done in some places can be morally wrong.
1. I think this is a very sensitive topic. The world is rather deliberately not ready for meat substitutes. I also think that natural meat is the best of all substitutes.
2. No, I would not start eat cultured meat instead of traditional one, because it sounds weird and distasteful to me. And as I wrote above, natural food is the best. And I don't think I change my mind quickly.
3. Of course, I think the traditional meat industry is ethical. People hunted animals and ate meat for centuries. So why would this change? Real meat is very tasty and has a lot of valuable minerals and vitamins that are necessary for our body. It's not the same as substitutes.
And I am against it. I am more inclined to raise the price of meat, but in return breed it in much better conditions than eat a substitute.
2. Would you start to eat cultured meat instead of the traditional one? Why/Why not?
Not because I am in favor of natural ways. I know that animals now get huge amounts of antibiotics, which we later eat. However, we always have a choice, if you already plan to eat meat, it is better to pay more and have a higher quality product.
3. Do you think that traditional meat industry is ethical?
No, but I'm already used to it. I don't want to eat something that pretends to be meat. There will always be victims. We have predators since the dawn of history.
2. I won't. Nothing will replace natural meat that is generated through animal farms.
3. On ethical point of view, I'd say that around 90% of companies are not ethical, not only in the food industry. It's the topic that keeps coming back on various occasions.
Interesting, i will most certainly give it a try when it will be possible.
2. Would you start to eat cultured meat instead of the traditional one? Why/Why not?
I dont know, i need to try it first, for me it depends on the cost and taste, if cultured meat will taste ok for me then i dont see any problem with switching into "fake one" :-D
3. Do you think that traditional meat industry is ethical?
I wont judge it, there are places where cruelty is unspeakable but if this is what society needs i'm not going to interfere with whole process as i'm one of the beneficiants.
I think the idea is really interesting, it could be a turning point in the history of mankind.
2. Would you start to eat cultured meat instead of the traditional one? Why/Why not?
this is a very difficult question, on the one hand I love meat and I can't imagine my life without it, but on the other hand I would like animals to not experience unnecessary suffering. Cultured meat seems to be a little bit choppy and not natural. I would like to see the effect of such meat before consuming for a long time. Often, man-made things turned out to be poison.
3. Do you think that traditional meat industry is ethical?
It's hard to say, on the one hand, the unnecessary suffering of animals is terrible, but if it wasn't for the demand for meat, many of these creatures would not exist, because they would simply be unnecessary, and man needs more and more space. If it had not been for meat rinsing of poor people, they would not be able to afford meat because the cost of breeding animals in very good conditions is very expensive, thus such a product would also be expensive.
2. No, I will never warm myself to such meat. It just repels me. I avoid eating highly processed food or GMO products, and ‘cultured meat’ is the actual ‘fake’ food.
3. The answer depends on what we consider as „ethical” talking about meat industry. It’s normal that we eat animals’ meat, moreover we need it in our daily well-balanced diet. Meat’s high nutritional value let us stay healthy. So I think it’s ethical beacuse it’s a normal thing.
I think that cultured meat will dominate the market of meat in the future. If it would taste like meat from killed animal and it’s price would be similar, everybody would eat it.
2. Would you start to eat cultured meat instead of the traditional one? Why/Why not?
Yes, If it was widely available, and the price was similar to the “traditional” meat, I would definitely eat it. I can’t say that I would never eat normal meat, but cultured meat would probably be my main source of meat.
3. Do you think that traditional meat industry is ethical?
It rarely is ethical to kill anyone or anything, but for now it’s all we have.
2. Yes, definitely. I miss the stakes but I refuse to eat them as I know how it influences the environment. Beside that they are cute! I would eat meat that don't make me feel bad about it.
3. I don't think that current ways of producing meat are ethical. The animals are often transported in awful conditions, some of them die of thirst or heat before they even get to the butchery. I think that meat should be significantly more expensive than other proteins to make the conditions for the animals better.
Lab-grown meat, would be less healthy than the animal alternative
We need to take an account it's nutritions and risk factors.
From a nutrition standpoint, it is going to be nutritionally sparse. The cultured meat will be lack of basic macro-nutrient. Someone who eats lab-grown meat will be prone to developing cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure I think!
2. Would you start to eat cultured meat instead of the traditional one? Why/Why not?
I will not, no. I have no desire to eat lab-grown anything simply because It's not ‘clean' product. For those who think that it's no big deal, would you eat lab meat started on human cells, maybe collected from recently deceased humans if it will happen?
3. Do you think that traditional meat industry is ethical?
Definitely killing animals is not ethical. But It's way better then eating something that's produces by some industry in some weird strange way.
I guess I won't give up the traditional meat. I love to eat meat, and although such improvements are good, I'm sure they'll make changes to make them cheaper in the future.
2. Would you start to eat cultured meat instead of the traditional one? Why/Why not?
No. I prefer traditional flavors
3. Do you think that traditional meat industry is ethical?
I don't think it's ethical everywhere, and even many places hurt animals a lot.
2. Yes, I will consume this product. If we have an alternative that will not damage our climate and are not so harmful to animals and ecology we need to use it.
3. I don't think that killing thousands of individuals of specific species every day can be ever called ethical.
2)Assuming it would be proven to be safe, yes. Even if it were not tasty, I still would be happy to eat it, just for the pure interest of trying something new.
3)That is a tough question. One thing for sure, a good part of people consider it to be an issue while the other part couldn't really care less. So if it is possible to replace the traditional meat industry with something that is acceptable to everyone, then it should be done.