PETA offers $1 million price for test tube meat

[Phi for All]

I fail to see the disgust factor that some people are showing. Besides being able to more nutritionally formulate the meat, wouldn't they also be able to enhance other characteristics like flavor and tenderness? If the costs become significantly lower, I'd love a medium rare grown beef tenderloin wrapped in grown bacon sizzling hot off the grill, tasting better than any filet minon I've ever had and costing what I'd normally pay for farmed hamburger.

 

[/drooling]

[YT2095]

and how are you going to get the correct Fat marbling that can only be done through Diet and certain conditions met only with a living animal?

 

I`m a Cook, these things ARE important, Critical in fact for some dishes.

[ParanoiA]

How do you know these conditions can only be met with a living animal? The technology to do this isn't invented yet, so aren't these kinds of details a little premature?

 

Also, what if, consequently, fat was created in such a way that introduced brand new textures for dishes - better textures, more flexible? Maybe marblized fat would be inferior to what can be created with this process.

[gcol]

1. Does anybody remember TVP? (textured vegetable protein). That got the big public thumbs down because of poor taste and texture. Highly touted by Veggies for a while did not catch on.

 

2. I will concede there might be some special niche markets for an edible version (well disguised with artificial flavours and colourings, loaded with preservatives and freeze-resistant additives) then bent battered and moulded into supermarket shelffriendly shapes. (Who remembers soya links?)

 

3. I am curious as to the raw materials to be used, and the energy requirements for the process. I am thinking of how the rush to vegetable based petroleum substitutes is driving up the prices and lowering the availability of what to many cultures are basic foodstuffs. I fear the workings of the law of unintended consequences. Where there are bucks to be made, as usual, the benefits will be spun up and the downside buried along with the human guineapigs.

 

An early adopter I will certainly not be.

[Royston]

Regardless, if there's a place in the market for it, it'll probably happen with our without the PETA prize.

 

I'm struggling to think of a market for it...even if test tube meat seems viable for a mass production fast food chain, it will only take another fast food chain to advertise that their burgers are made from succulent prime fillet steak, from (and note this word) natural sources. Meaning cows, of course. So the competition will be in favour of the company who provide, natural meat, who in turn can charge more for the privelage, and then build huge farms to make even more money. (Speculating of course...the complete opposite may happen.)

 

I don't think explaining the naturalistic fallacy on the side of a microwave Lasagne, will tip the balance for invitro meat. It would have to be ludicrously cheap, and probably aimed at the lowest common denominator of cuisine. On top of convincing people that it's ok to eat.

 

It could have a market for pet food, but that's still subject for the owner wanting the 'very best' for their pet.

 

I think the sentiment is fine, and people may shrug and just buy the stuff when they see how cheap it is, as many do when choosing over organic or non-organic produce. However, I think it will take a lot of time and convincing, for such an idea to work...by that time, the technology may be there to grow a nice marbled Argentinian steak in the lab.

[ParanoiA]

And then Rush Limbaugh will blame PETA and liberalism for driving up the cost of "natural" meat.

 

It all just sounds like the grind of transition. It will find its place in the market. Perhaps it's best efforts should be focused on the health factor. With so many fat ass americans bobbling around, any meat that provides a healthier meal without sacrificing taste would be embraced.

 

You know how us americans are, we can't afford to be healthy unless it "tastes good". And the only crap we like is fat, sugar and salt. Oh, and lots and lots of processed flour.

[iNow]

This thread has become rather silly. People arguing passionately that it won't or can't work, or about quality, or about processes... When the technology hasn't even begun to be put in place. Since so little is known, anyone that has anything other than a curious mind on this issue is presenting nothing more than personal insecurities and bias.

 

I'm sorry to say, but the challenges offered so far are not logical (no data on which to base them), and are purely emotional, "gut" responses.

 

 

I bet people argued against soda water, too. "I don't know why you're messing with my clear, pure, delicious water with them thar bubbles and sugars and such... That just isn't natural."

 

Give me a break. Can we please hold off on the complete disregard for it's potential until we know something more concrete about the process, or is everyone content to blanketly dismiss the new prospect because it makes them feel icky?

[insane_alien]

if it tastes like meat(be it chicken, beef, pork, that meat they have in mcdonalds that your not entirely sure if it even came for earth) and has the texture of meat then i won't be to fussy about where it came from. if the factory produced meat is bland and basically crap, then i would care.

[swansont]

You're mixing your meataphors.

 

Meataphors, or is it idiyums?

 

———

 

I'm wondering how much of an overlap there is between the anti-GM-food crowd and PETA, and what happens if/when the two square off over this.

[falcon9393]

wow thats incredible!!

but theresone thing is that i wouldnt feel all that good about putting fake meat in my mouth and on top of that would we still be getting the same vital vitamins from this false meat???

other than that im cool with it

[ecoli]

 

I think the sentiment is fine, and people may shrug and just buy the stuff when they see how cheap it is, as many do when choosing over organic or non-organic produce. However, I think it will take a lot of time and convincing, for such an idea to work...by that time, the technology may be there to grow a nice marbled Argentinian steak in the lab.

 

I suspect that fast-food chains would be interested in it. And, its not like they tell their customers now that their animals can barely be qualified as being alive. That doesn't stop the customers, so I doubt having factory meat would either... especially if they don't know about it.

[bascule]

Here's what I predict:

 

McDonalds (or somewhere equally mundane) makes the announcement that they're going to start switching to factory-made beef for their paddies.

 

The news media make a big hubbabub about it, getting plenty of interviews with sound bytes like "Factory meat? Gross! I wouldn't eat that!"

 

Then the switch happens, and they start interviewing customers who are actually eating it. "Tastes fine to me"

 

And the system moves forward...

 

I'm struggling to think of a market for it...even if test tube meat seems viable for a mass production fast food chain, it will only take another fast food chain to advertise that their burgers are made from succulent prime fillet steak, from (and note this word) natural[/u'] sources.

 

And it only takes the other fast food chain to advertise that their products are 50% cheaper

[Mr Skeptic]

wow thats incredible!!

but theresone thing is that i wouldnt feel all that good about putting fake meat in my mouth and on top of that would we still be getting the same vital vitamins from this false meat???

other than that im cool with it

 

What's so fake about it? Meat is meat, whether or not it is sentient. So long as all the chemicals and texture are right, I don't see how it could be anything else.

 

Kind of reminds me about the controversy over "artificial" diamonds, as if somehow they are different from "natural" diamonds, other than that they have less imperfections.

 

A big question that I would have about this though is, what would test tube meat eat? I don't think they will be eating grass or scraps like animals can do (even if the farmed ones eat grain). Perhaps they could eat leftovers from biofuels production. In any case, a major issue would be whether or not it is cheaper to feed test tube meat than regular animals.

[Phi for All]

In any case, a major issue would be whether or not it is cheaper to feed test tube meat than regular animals.

I had taken from the OP that the cost savings were practically a given. Less disease, no waste removal, no deleterious environmental concerns, vastly quicker production times and little danger to harvesting humans.

 

I share your concern but isn't it kind of a given that this would be a total flop if it didn't produce meat of at least current quality and at a substantial savings?

[CDarwin]

and how are you going to get the correct Fat marbling that can only be done through Diet and certain conditions met only with a living animal?

 

I`m a Cook, these things ARE important, Critical in fact for some dishes.

 

Like I've said, just use an ex-living animal for that stuff. For most of the meat we eat things like that don't matter.

[Mr Skeptic]

I had taken from the OP that the cost savings were practically a given. Less disease, no waste removal, no deleterious environmental concerns, vastly quicker production times and little danger to harvesting humans.

 

I share your concern but isn't it kind of a given that this would be a total flop if it didn't produce meat of at least current quality and at a substantial savings?

 

Yes, that does seem like it would be reasonably possible for it to be cheaper. But it would probably require special food, a sterile environment, and potentially costly management. As for no waste removal, that too would be a concern, as it is unlikely that test tube meat would have kidneys. (I know that's not what you meant). Yes, if it is more expensive to do, it would have only a niche market. It would definitely have some serious advantages though.

 

Oh, and in my OP I somehow didn't realize that we would either keep enough animals to eat the "free" organics like grass or scraps, or turn those into biofuels. So if they start making this stuff, it's not like all that other animal food would go to waste.