What I read
In "Lab-Grown Meat" G. Owen Schaefer reported about meat produced in a laboratory without killing animals. Simply, technicians collect stem cells from the tissue of muscle sample token from animal, multiply them dramatically and then allow them to differentiate into primitive fibers,and finally bulk up to form muscle tissue. Mosa Meat, a startups, says that a 80,000 quarter-pounders can be made from one tissue sample of cow only. Lab-grown meat, also called clean meat or cultured meat, has many advantages over conventional meat. It can eliminate the cruel, unethical treatment of animals that are raised for food and reduce the considerable environmental costs of meat production.
On the other hand, traditional meat producers say that the meat generated in lab is not meat at all and should not be labeled as such.
On the other hand, traditional meat producers say that the meat generated in lab is not meat at all and should not be labeled as such.
My response
" Wow, really? what are the scientists and technicians trying to do? ". This was the first sentence lighted up in my mind after I read this wonderful article. To be honest, this is first time I heard about this meat and it is really attracted me a lot to know more about it because it is quite different form conventional meat.
This type of meat is believed to be healthy because it may not require artificial growth hormones and the cell-cultured process may also decrease exposure of the meat to bacteria and disease. Furthermore, due to the strictly controlled and predictable environment, the clean meat could reduce the exposure to dangerous chemicals like pesticides and fungicides. A study by researchers at Oxford and the University of Amsterdam found that cultured meat was "potentially ... much more efficient and environmentally-friendly". Without any doubt, animal rights groups will be so happy and grateful to this invention.
Let us look at the another side that pushes back and argues about this meat. The taste was quite different form conventional meat and overly dry. Also, it is definitely expensive. Memphis Meats estimated the cost of production to be around $5,280/kg.
This type of meat is believed to be healthy because it may not require artificial growth hormones and the cell-cultured process may also decrease exposure of the meat to bacteria and disease. Furthermore, due to the strictly controlled and predictable environment, the clean meat could reduce the exposure to dangerous chemicals like pesticides and fungicides. A study by researchers at Oxford and the University of Amsterdam found that cultured meat was "potentially ... much more efficient and environmentally-friendly". Without any doubt, animal rights groups will be so happy and grateful to this invention.
Let us look at the another side that pushes back and argues about this meat. The taste was quite different form conventional meat and overly dry. Also, it is definitely expensive. Memphis Meats estimated the cost of production to be around $5,280/kg.
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My question
As you are meat consumer (lover), what do you think about lab-grown meat? Have you tried it before?
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Reference
- Schaefer. G. O. (September 14, 2018). Lab-Grown Meat. Scientific American. Retrieved from https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/lab-grown-meat/
Even I'm not a meat, especially beef, consumer and I want to try it at all, I don't think Lab-grown meat is good idea for meat substitute as it's like GMO things that people always avoid having that because it might cause people crucial disease or cause some genetic problem to their body.
ReplyDeleteI've already supported GM in Kieng's post on malaria below, so it probably won't come as a big surprise that I'm also in favour of it here. I think the idea of lab. grown meat is great. It seems to me to offer a lot of benefits, not least the environmental harm of growing animals to delight the human lust for tasty animal flesh, which is the main reason we kill so many animals.
DeleteBut I'll wait until the price comes down a lot. $5,000 is a bit much to pay for a kilo of meat, however great the taste.
And as so many of the other great posts here do, Waleed has suggested at least one modern issue that could be chosen to write an essay in which you argue for one viewpoint over competing alternative views.
Delete