Humane meat made with just cells

I thought free range farms are the way to go now where the animals have more freedom not being penned up all the time. The problem with this idea in many circles is that there is already a backlash against gmos-genetically modified organisms. I'm for humane treatment I just don't think this will fly. Minus well work on improving a soy burger.
 
Well, we will see what happens with this in the future. Yes, they sure do need to improve some of the soy burgers out there. Taste like cardboard. :)
 

I think this is something that will come to pass in the future and would be a good thing, but is still in its very beginning stages and will be very expensive. Free range eggs aren't actually that free range, the animals are still in very bad conditions and distressed. And meat production is an environment hazard big time. The dairy industry is another a horror show. So something has to change.

I made some chick pea burgers yesterday that were absolutely delicious and had to freeze some to keep from gobbling them all up.
 
Cookie said:
I think this is something that will come to pass in the future and would be a good thing, but is still in its very beginning stages and will be very expensive. Free range eggs aren't actually that free range, the animals are still in very bad conditions and distressed. And meat production is an environment hazard big time. The dairy industry is another a horror show. So something has to change.

I made some chick pea burgers yesterday that were absolutely delicious and had to freeze some to keep from gobbling them all up.
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Those chick pea burgers sound really good!
 
We live in a nice rural area surrounded by farms and cattle ranches, etc. Here, hundreds of cattle are constantly grazing in the fields. There is a local ranch and meat market that raises its beef without steroids or hormones, and that is where we get most of our meat. There are dozens of chicken and turkey farms in the area, and they load that poultry up with hormones and steroids such that the time from chick to maturity is about half of what nature intends. Insofar as any meat created in a chemistry lab, and grown in a factory using who knows what for a "medium", I wouldn't touch that kind of stuff for years...let someone else be the "Lab Rat" and submit themselves to the "Side effects".
 
I live in a rural area and there are almost never cattle in the fields. The fields grow corn and hay to feed them in the barns and feedlots where they exist.

Besides, there is not enough land to go free range everything and still supply the billions of pounds of meat (of any sort) that Americans want to eat so factory farming is here to stay and like Cookie said, the environmental footprint is bigger than that of any other industries combined.

Here is a great article from the Washington Post that discusses lab grown meat and the future of the product and where it's at today. Describes the process more or less and with pictures to aid understanding. Also includes a graph that shows that it uses less water, less land and less energy than traditional methods as well as lower GHG emissions. And there's a little 1.5 minute video for your viewing pleasure.

Lab grown meat has a smaller carbon footprint, will feed more people with waaaaay less land needed and less water waste as well as less water pollution and is likely to be 'cleaner' as animals are spending part of their lives wading through crap or maybe even their entire lives (which then gets into the assembly line to be passed on to the consumer :)) while this product will be grown in sterile tanks. I've been trying to find out what the growing culture is (with no luck) but my guess is it will simply be some sort of saline solution because after all, these are living cells and that would be the nature of their natural environment I would think.

It's been presented to the public and was found to be pretty much like a regular beef patty in taste and texture. Now the task is to determine how to produce it in large enough quantities and to reduce the cost. The estimate is that in a few years, the price would be about $10.00 for a five ounce burger and it's hoped that following that, the price will come down further.


https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...burger-that-tastes-as-good-as-the-real-thing/

Aside from the huge animal welfare violations issue, if people are going to insist on eating 'meat', they are going to have to open up to this because it just isn't possible to continue a tradition that is doing far more than its fair share of destroying the environment.
 
I think that I would prefer to become vegetarian than
to eat cultured meat.

But that decision might change in the future if natural
meat becomes scarce.

Mike.
 
Just out of curiosity, why would you have that preference? It's exactly the same cells, just without the violence and suffering or the environmental destruction. If they can grow a hamburger patty that tastes exactly the same and has the right texture, why would you eschew it? Not that I'd mind because in that instance I'd be praying for 'ripple effects' as you became aware ;), if you know what I mean!
 
I think it is a great idea, although I'm not sure it will be affordable for the average person. A fine example are organic fruits and vegetables.I would love to purchase them, but way to expensive. Being gluten intolerant, I don't buy much gluten free food for the same reason. I also would worry about what they are adding to the product. I am all ready living in fear of genetically altered fruits and vegetables. If they ever decide to add a wheat gene to corn for whatever reason, it could cause serious health issues for me and others with the same problem. Probably, if I lived alone and only had my diet to contend with I seriously would consider becoming a vegetarian, only for the sake of animal welfare.
 
I think I've heard Ruth, that those special gluten free foods that are available in the store now aren't very good for you because they have to add more starches and stuff to get a similar texture to what folks are used to when they eat these new fangled cookies or whatever. Or was it other kinds of additives...? Oh well, I've heard you'd be better off without them or at least eat them very sparingly. So you're probably not really missing anything except the convenience.

And I imagine it does get tough having a specialized dietary requirement if you're living with someone else. Poor you (at least as far as cooking is concerned).
 
Debby said:
I think I've heard Ruth, that those special gluten free foods that are available in the store now aren't very good for you because they have to add more starches and stuff to get a similar texture to what folks are used to when they eat these new fangled cookies or whatever. Or was it other kinds of additives...? Oh well, I've heard you'd be better off without them or at least eat them very sparingly. So you're probably not really missing anything except the convenience.

And I imagine it does get tough having a specialized dietary requirement if you're living with someone else. Poor you (at least as far as cooking is concerned).
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Yes,Debby you are right. They also are higher in calories. It's just that once in awhile I want to be like everyone else and grab a cookie from the cookie isle or have a piece of bread without spending 2 hours making it. So many people think it is healthy to go gluten free and they are so wrong. Its a fad right now.
 
This "artificial meat" sounds like an interesting experiment, but I doubt that it would gain much of a market...even IF they could get the price down to $10 for a hamburger pattie....which would still be far higher than the price for beef. It's true that with this planets ballooning populations, traditional agriculture is increasingly being stressed to supply enough food for everyone....some reports place the number of undernourished at over 1.5 billion. That is why so many of these GMO products are finding their way into our food chains. Most of the meat and poultry, and even commercially grown fish, are filled with growth hormones, and steroids. These "additives" don't go away when the food is processed and cooked...rather they enter our bodies, and may be a major contributor to the epidemic of Obesity that is sweeping the Western nations.

Insofar as pollution is concerned....recent studies have indicated that the amount of Methane released into the atmosphere by animal waste, and "cow farts" is almost equal to the amount of CO2 released by burning fossil fuels....and Methane is a far more potent Greenhouse Gas than CO2.

Anything that humans do seems to have a negative effect on the planet. One day, nature is going to balance things out in the human arena...just like it does with every other species. Back in the mid 90's, the UN did a population study and said that a sustainable human population would be under 5 billion people. Today we have well over 7 billion, headed for 9 billion by 2050, and 12 billion by the end of this century. Most of us will not live long enough to see the consequences, but there is going to be Hell on Earth before this century ends.
 
I think this lab meat will catch on eventually, but get the impression it will be many years from now and probably not in our lifetime, so no point worrying about it. Perhaps our kids and grandkids will be more receptive.

People love to eat animal protein and believe that they really need it. Once that belief is finally proven false and people see the terrible damage to the environment, maybe vegetable protein and lab meat have a chance.
 
Don M. said:
This "artificial meat" sounds like an interesting experiment, but I doubt that it would gain much of a market...even IF they could get the price down to $10 for a hamburger pattie....which would still be far higher than the price for beef. It's true that with this planets ballooning populations, traditional agriculture is increasingly being stressed to supply enough food for everyone....some reports place the number of undernourished at over 1.5 billion. That is why so many of these GMO products are finding their way into our food chains. Most of the meat and poultry, and even commercially grown fish, are filled with growth hormones, and steroids. These "additives" don't go away when the food is processed and cooked...rather they enter our bodies, and may be a major contributor to the epidemic of Obesity that is sweeping the Western nations.

Insofar as pollution is concerned....recent studies have indicated that the amount of Methane released into the atmosphere by animal waste, and "cow farts" is almost equal to the amount of CO2 released by burning fossil fuels....and Methane is a far more potent Greenhouse Gas than CO2.

Anything that humans do seems to have a negative effect on the planet. One day, nature is going to balance things out in the human arena...just like it does with every other species. Back in the mid 90's, the UN did a population study and said that a sustainable human population would be under 5 billion people. Today we have well over 7 billion, headed for 9 billion by 2050, and 12 billion by the end of this century. Most of us will not live long enough to see the consequences, but there is going to be Hell on Earth before this century ends.
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You've obviously given this a bit of thought Don and that's great. But actually, the UN did a study on the environmental effects of animal ag and that study found that 18% of all GHG's is directly attributable to animal ag (more than the total of all transportation effects) and a new study done a couple years later, found it was actually more like 50% because they took into account the effects of methane from the manure lagoons that accompany the big pork producers, as well as the belching and 'emissions' which are also methane. And I think they looked at the effects of Brazils continual deforestation and burning of millions of acres of 'carbon sinks' or trees. And all of that 'emissions' talk and GHG fears doesn't even begin to address the issue of water waste and water pollution caused by animal ag.

As far as GMO products, a recent study by a university in India (I think?) found that there is glyphosate (Roundup) in the water, the soil and in human tissue and glyphosate is carcinogenic. So it's quite possible that the GMO's themselves will never hurt us, but the Roundup that was being poured onto the food plants in question (whether it's being grown for people or animals) is a huge cause of the tidal wave of cancers that society seems to be burdened with these days. Roundup is probably also one more chemical to be added to the list of obesogens that have reprogrammed our DNA and thereby causing humanity to evolve into a fatter species.
 
Cookie said:
I think this lab meat will catch on eventually, but get the impression it will be many years from now and probably not in our lifetime, so no point worrying about it. Perhaps our kids and grandkids will be more receptive.

People love to eat animal protein and believe that they really need it. Once that belief is finally proven false and people see the terrible damage to the environment, maybe vegetable protein and lab meat have a chance.
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The article that I read about the lab meat was talking more along the lines of seven to ten years from now, lab meat would would become 'readily' available. I think too as we see the state of our environment continue to devolve, the intensity that that sort of alternative method of feeding a growing population will become even more pronounced and people will become more willing to open their minds up to new ideas.
 
They're going to come up with a better name than "lab meat", I'm thinking. Maybe something less artificial sounding like..."baloney" or "spam".... :rofl:
 
I don't want to eat any foods made in a lab, whether meat or GMO foods, unfortunately they're getting us to eat genetically modified food already and feeding it to the animals I understand. Like Mike, I'd become a vegetarian before eating lab meat, but I doubt this will be anywhere near full swing production in our lifetimes.

We often buy Morning Star Farms "Prime Grillers" Veggie Burgers, best I've tasted so far!
 
Debby said:
You've obviously given this a bit of thought Don and that's great. But actually, the UN did a study on the environmental effects of animal ag and that study found that 18% of all GHG's is directly attributable to animal ag (more than the total of all transportation effects) and a new study done a couple years later, found it was actually more like 50% because they took into account the effects of methane from the manure lagoons that accompany the big pork producers, as well as the belching and 'emissions' which are also methane. And I think they looked at the effects of Brazils continual deforestation and burning of millions of acres of 'carbon sinks' or trees. And all of that 'emissions' talk and GHG fears doesn't even begin to address the issue of water waste and water pollution caused by animal ag.

As far as GMO products, a recent study by a university in India (I think?) found that there is glyphosate (Roundup) in the water, the soil and in human tissue and glyphosate is carcinogenic. So it's quite possible that the GMO's themselves will never hurt us, but the Roundup that was being poured onto the food plants in question (whether it's being grown for people or animals) is a huge cause of the tidal wave of cancers that society seems to be burdened with these days. Roundup is probably also one more chemical to be added to the list of obesogens that have reprogrammed our DNA and thereby causing humanity to evolve into a fatter species.
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Yes, Methane is a ticking time bomb that seldom enters any discussions about Climate Change. The animal "discharge" is huge, but there is even more locked up in the ice in the ocean depths, and the permafrost in the Northern regions of Canada, Alaska and Russia. If the oceans warm substantially, and the land temperatures rise a few more degrees, that Methane will begin to release, and Then Climate Change could go off the charts.
This Roundup (glyphosate) is some powerful stuff, and while it might help farm production, it "lingers" in our environment...like most other artificial things people are doing. I bought a 2.5 gallon jug of that stuff 4 or 5 years ago, to kill the weeds in our gravel driveway. Just a small amount is far more potent and effective than any of the more common weed killers on the market. My driveway is probably about 150 yards long, and 10 yards wide, and it only takes about a quart of Roundup to treat the entire area.

People are screwing up everything in our environment, and it is only a question of time before Nature says "Enough". Farmers and ranchers are having to use these artificial additives to grow enough food, and keep the prices affordable....but just like most prescription drugs, there Will be Side Effects. The deforestation in the Amazon is removing natures best means of removing CO2, and there is nothing on the horizon to replace that removal. Between fossil fuels, the dangers of Methane, deforestation, and overpopulation, I don't see humanity avoiding some major consequences in the coming decades...certainly no more than a century. Rising oceans could displace 1/3rd of our coastal populations, and cause social and financial issues that make anything we've ever seen pale by comparison. When the history books are written in the year 2500...if we survive that long...I think the 20th and 21st centuries will go down as a real mess.
 
BW, here's the way I made them.

1 can of chick peas drained, ground in food processor to semi smooth consistency, a few lumps is ok
1 small onion chopped fine and/or a bit of finely chopped red or green pepper
soy sauce to taste (1-2 tablespoons)
1 egg
about 1/4 cup or more whole wheat flour
about 1/4 cup or more of dry oatmeal **
about 1/4 cup or more of bread crumbs
salt to taste

- mix well to make a firm dough - adding more dry ingredients if necessary
- refrigerate in sealed container for several hours or overnight
- form into small patties - fry in about 1/2 inch of medium hot vegetable oil til brown and crisp, drain on paper towels
- I like them with a bit of yogurt

** I sometimes add a bit of cooked quinoa or bulghur wheat.

Bon appetit!
 
Cookie said:
BW, here's the way I made them.

1 can of chick peas drained, ground in food processor to semi smooth consistency, a few lumps is ok
1 small onion chopped fine and/or a bit of finely chopped red or green pepper
soy sauce to taste (1-2 tablespoons)
1 egg
about 1/4 cup or more whole wheat flour
about 1/4 cup or more of dry oatmeal **
about 1/4 cup or more of bread crumbs
salt to taste

- mix well to make a firm dough - adding more dry ingredients if necessary
- refrigerate in sealed container for several hours or overnight
- form into small patties - fry in about 1/2 inch of medium hot vegetable oil til brown and crisp, drain on paper towels
- I like them with a bit of yogurt

** I sometimes add a bit of cooked quinoa or bulghur wheat.

Bon appetit!
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awesome! Thanks :)
 
Ruth n Jersey said:
I think it is a great idea, although I'm not sure it will be affordable for the average person. A fine example are organic fruits and vegetables.I would love to purchase them, but way to expensive. Being gluten intolerant, I don't buy much gluten free food for the same reason. I also would worry about what they are adding to the product. I am all ready living in fear of genetically altered fruits and vegetables. If they ever decide to add a wheat gene to corn for whatever reason, it could cause serious health issues for me and others with the same problem. Probably, if I lived alone and only had my diet to contend with I seriously would consider becoming a vegetarian, only for the sake of animal welfare.
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Ruth do you mean the organic produce in your grocery store is too pricey for you? I don't have tons to spend, but I buy organic food all the time. Picking and choosing with organics is a good way to go. Dairy and animal products should always be organic. Berries and any fruit where you eat the skin should be too. Melons have a thick skin which you don't eat so you can eat conventional. Mushrooms can be conventionally grown too, which leafy greens should be organic. Apples are the highest presticide sprayed fruit so always go organic with this one.

Oraganic eating is a lifestyle choice and pays dividends medically because you don't get sick as much nor do you require as much medicine. My mother is almost 84 and has been eating organic for five years now and a lot of her medical conditions have greatly improved ot disappeared altogether. So eating organic definitely can pay off financially for those with health issues.
 
Organic, fresh vegetables just Taste so much better, IMO. I got my garden tilled yesterday, and am looking forward to the Spring planting. The difference in taste of something minutes out of the garden, vs., what was picked weeks ago before it hits the grocery stores, is quite obvious. I just put a little nitrogen fertilizer in the soil, and set up my motion sensor sprinklers to keep the deers out of the garden, and nature does the rest.
 
Don M. said:
Organic, fresh vegetables just Taste so much better, IMO. I got my garden tilled yesterday, and am looking forward to the Spring planting. The difference in taste of something minutes out of the garden, vs., what was picked weeks ago before it hits the grocery stores, is quite obvious. I just put a little nitrogen fertilizer in the soil, and set up my motion sensor sprinklers to keep the deers out of the garden, and nature does the rest.
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That's the one thing I am going to miss big time when we move and that's the taste of veggies right out of the garden. I always grow cucumbers and just love them. But I bought a Long English one from the supermarket last week and it has the weirdest taste. Looks really nice but the flavour has to be ignored. I've often wondered if the nutrient level of tasteless or weird tasting veggies is different and the flavour or lack of it is an indicator? Anyway, won't be buying cuc's til the farmers market opens again.
 

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