The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Community => Coffee Lounge => Topic started by: HappyHippy on February 20, 2012, 10:34:03 pm
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While watching the BBC news at 10, I was half fascinated and half horrified by a piece on a scientist who is growing meat from stem cells in order to cater to the worldwide demand for food.
They reckon it's more environmentally friendly, animal welfare friendly and 'efficent' than farming :o With one cow producing enough cells for a million burgers. Although I can see the for arguements, I'm not convinced on the merits of meat grown in a lab by men in white coats (could just be my paranoid side though ;)) and don't welcome the thought of a world with less farm animals :farmer:
So, what's eveyone's thoughts on this - is it one step too far ?
Karen :wave:
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Well I can certainly see the argument for meat without having to kill animals - but I would be sorry to see the animals go from the countryside (which they would if meat could be grown more cheaply in the lab.
Having said that we still need cows for dairy - so unless they can grow a lactating udder in a pertri-dish there's going to be calves available for meat anyway.
maybe I'm just old fashioned but I don't like the idea much myself.
mab
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Less cow trumps , less greenhouse gases , that's an upside maybe.
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I thought it was truly repellant HH ;D How a bit of muscle grown flabbily in a dish could be indistinguishable from muscle which has grown on an animal and been exercised all the time and fed on good pasture, I don't know. I think that proteins will eventually be produced on a large scale in factories, but I think that trying to reproduce the texture of meat, or grow an artificial steak, is a mistake. The animals (apart from that original cow) will love it :cow:
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You can't reproduce the flavour of 3 year old grass fed beef, no delicious marbled rib on the bone , no leather etc. just because they can do it does not meen they have to do it.
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one leap too far :o
dunno why i am surprised but more and more pleased i produce my own chicken, pork,lamb and turkey :yum:
Mx
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One small step !!!!!! no one would think of doing this if you had seen the Film called solant green - from the late 60's early 70's Charlton Heston was the star -
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hold on there this is not a world saving idea that is all new they were producing protein at least 30 years ago the headlines at the time they were going to revolutionise the beef industry this was the way forward for poor country's aye right i wont be getting my nickers in a twist over it it will come and go like snow of a dyke :farmer:
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yuck.
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Do you think the burgers will come with a
'stem -cell buy date ?'
' best beef-4 ' date ?
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just think lamb burgers will they have a "ewes by date"
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I saw that report too...... but wait....
The report said that it was beef... but
It will be neutral colour as it has no blood to make it red !
It has no taste ! .... that will have to be added afterwards !... artificially !
LOL... they have made something akin to ????????? a bit of stuff that tastes of nothing and looks... neutral !!
Almost sounds like a McDonald's.....LOL
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maybe thats the point
considering the amount of damage beef farming for macdonalds does across the world.im sure maccy ds customers would never notice the lack of taste or texture.
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I saw that report too...... but wait....
The report said that it was beef... but
It will be neutral colour as it has no blood to make it red !
It has no taste ! .... that will have to be added afterwards !... artificially !
LOL... they have made something akin to ????????? a bit of stuff that tastes of nothing and looks... neutral !!
Almost sounds like a McDonald's.....LOL
;D ;D ;D Doesn't it just? Maybe they've been producing their burgers this way for years.
Personally, if meat started being produced by stem cell, I would go vegetarian.
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Grow yer' own,
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I think the point is that this is vegetarian meat. It sidesteps the whole issue of ethics in farming while producing something that will look and taste like cubed steak. These chaps will have learned from the textured soya protein fiasco and will know that it has to look and taste right or it will fail. I bet there's a ton of money behind this.
There will always be those who know what real food is, but real food is already a premium product out of the reach of many people. Given the prevalence of greasy chicken outlets in the high street an alternative source of cheap protein might be a good thing.
I can already see an interesting problem with labelling. If you can grow meat in a factory which is genetically indistinguishable from an Aberdeen Angus grown with four legs then what do you call it. Beef?
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Grow yer' own,
Absolutely.
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And why on earth would a vegatarian want to eat something that looks and tastes like meat? ??? If it's only ethics that stops them from eating meat, grow your own or find some "happy" meat ::)
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Personally, if meat started being produced by stem cell, I would go vegetarian.
But in time, won't this lab-grown 'meat' be vegetarian??
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If you can grow meat in a factory which is genetically indistinguishable from an Aberdeen Angus grown with four legs then what do you call it. Beef?
How about "I can't believe it's not steak!!"
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Which do you like least?
a. factory grown beef-like stuff
b. factory farmed beef and milk.
Cos they're both coming to a takeaway near you in the next decade as Brian Aldridge leads the charge.
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And, if the buying public are informed, no-one will have to eat either!
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I don't think any of this stuff is aimed at the affluent or knowledgeable. It's for those who can't afford real food and just need to eat and for countries where food production can't keep pace with population.
Given that the South-East is now in drought conditions it could be closer than we think.
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I don't agree with what there doing, but have we not been doing
genetics on crops and plants for decades? It's now in our food
chain and little fuss is made over it. You then re-brand the original produce as 'organic'.
Man's needs are generally stronger than his consience.