An interesting topic

[Flobo]

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Doing a bit of noodling and came across this article -

Cultivated meat: the novel food technology which could help animals and the planet

I had heard of this being tried a while ago and I wondered what other people think of it and if you are a meat eater would you swap?
I don't eat meat myself but do find this very interesting though I do also wonder how this concept will translate for our furry, four legged, meat eating house companions!

There is a few interesting articles on this link if you fancy a read. One I'm particularly pleased about is the Sentience Bill passing into law here earlier this month.

 

[BEF]

I would definitely feed lab meat if the price was right. All the nutrition with no cruelty.

 

[JoanneF]

I read about this a year or so ago (bizarrely, as a discussion article in a French language publication for people learning and practising French).

I think initially the cost may be a barrier, but if that can be resolved, it's potentially a massive breakthrough. I think it also addressed some of the ethical issues like @BEF says, so win, win, win?

 

[JudyN]

It's a sign of how we've screwed up the planet that we even need to consider this. IMO it would probably be better for the planet if meat eaters reduced their meat consumption considerably, and focus on high-welfare locally raised meat. But that won't happen any time soon.

I'm vegetarian, but Mr N eats meat occasionally, and he wouldn't be keen on 'manufactured' meat - but that's just him being set in his ways. I've yet to persuade him to try my oat milk on his cereal, even though I think it's nicer than real milk (real milk is better in coffee though).

As for dogs - the number of animals Jasper consumed over the years does make me feel guilty. Manufactured meat could make a huge difference there, as dogs aren't going to complain that it's not 'proper food'.

 

[Hemlock]

I'm a regular meat eater, and don't intend to stop or cut down, nor worry about feeding real meat to carnivores. Sustainable farming and good animal husbandry is essential IMO to the planet's welfare. I hold no brief for bad practice.
Farmed animals do the environment a terrific amount of good when kept with care, especially with supporting invertebrates and marginal areas, supporting wildlife in turn.

I don't however criticise anyone else's decisions. We are fortunate to be able to choose.

 

[Flobo]

It is an interesting topic for sure, the whole idea of 'growing' meat in a lab sounds like something out of a sci fi film to me! But as a non meat eater I would embrace this for the animals in my life where I could, as @BEF says, nutrition without the cruelty.

I do also of course respect peoples choices and as @Hemlock says we are indeed lucky to be able to choose. My other half eats meat and I don't think he'd entertain lab meat as an alternative... I think he'd rather eat my veggie options at a push!
But we also have to consider this is world wide problem and where maybe our farm animal welfare standards are pretty good on the whole, the animal welfare in other countries is pretty desperate. We only have to look at America for example with their mega industrial farm units, all the while quantity and maximum profit and peoples desires for cheap meat are the drivers, animals will continue to suffer greatly. Something has to change, somewhere, somehow, does it not?

Even if the the creation of this 'meat' only causes people to talk about or actually think about their own consumption and maybe choose to eat better quality farmed meat and maybe eat it less, (or indeed just look at the bigger picture) then that can only be a good thing for the health of the planet and us all IMHO...

 

[JoanneF]

My other half eats meat and I don't think he'd entertain lab meat as an alternative..

That's actually a really good point. I hope this doesn't come over as rambling, I feel like I'm not going to articulate this well, but here goes.

At home, we have an excellent butcher who selects his meat from well reared stock. I don't eat a lot of red meat (I prefer fish) but sometimes I have a fillet steak from him, and it's good.

Right now I'm on holiday. A couple of weeks ago I bought a fillet from the supermarket and it was rubbish. But tonight, I'm in a little town where there is a restaurant (that we couldn't get into - that tells you something) and a shop, both owned by a nearby farm that raises its livestock and sells the produce locally. They proudly describe their credentials, clearly the stock is well managed. The steak I bought from the shop was like the steak at home. Very noticeably better.

So, to go back to the start, if the 'created' meat isn't as tasty, or tender, or needs loads of flavouring then I probably would be like your OH. That said, if they can get the cost down, it might make a decent chilli con carne.

 

[JudyN]

Right now I'm on holiday. A couple of weeks ago I bought a fillet from the supermarket and it was rubbish.

At one point, I was buying Jasper cheap supermarket chickens and chopping them up, but gave up as he wasn't good at digesting the leg bones. Rather than waste the chicken in the freezer, I thought I might as well eat it and rather looked forward to a roast chicken. I could still remember what chicken was meant to taste like, but this was vile - tasteless and a nasty texture. So yes, tasting just like the real thing is no good if the real thing doesn't taste that good anyway.

But I don't think there's any way we can raise enough ethical, sustainable livestock without clearing huge swathes of natural habitat to keep up current meat consumption levels, which would be an environmental disaster. And a large proportion of the population wouldn't be able to afford it anyway, particularly now.

 

[Flobo]

It's all a bit sad and depressing really isn't it... oh well, c'est la vie!