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Home Front: Culture Wars
Lab-grown meat 'needed to feed the world'
2011-06-27
Peta's going to just LOVE this!
The first 'test-tube' hamburger is only a year away, scientists claim.

They believe the product, beef mince grown from stem cells, could pave the way for eating meat without animals being slaughtered.

The Dutch scientists predict that over the next few decades the world's population will increase so quickly that there will not be enough livestock to feed everyone.
So what is the fertility rate of Europe these days?
The scientists are currently developing a burger which will be grown from 10,000 stem cells extracted from cattle, which are then left in the lab to multiply more than a billion times to produce muscle tissue similar to beef.
Similar - but not exactly? My guess it will taste, and look like crap - or chicken.
He told Scientific American magazine that he thought the first burger could be made within 12 months.

In 2009 scientists from the same university grew strips of pork using the same method. They admitted it was not particularly appetising, being grey with a similar texture to calamari. Fish fillets have been grown in a New York laboratory using cells taken from goldfish muscle tissue.
Any guesses what those Scientists swallowed during college?
Even if the initial results do not taste quite the same as proper meat, scientists are convinced the public will soon get used to it, especially if they are not allowed do not have a choice.
Any guesses if Al-Gore and company are backing this? How soon will the raising of cattle be severely restricted - to control CO2 emissions from cow farts burps?

I have no doubt we will have a large group of people who don't have any problems with killing an unborn human fetus getting all uptight about eating 'in-vitro' meat.
Posted by:CrazyFool

#18  I meant test. Bad eyes plus iToy equals bad typing.
Posted by: Perfesser   2011-06-27 23:11  

#17  What else are they gonna grow in that teet tube?
Posted by: Perfesser   2011-06-27 23:10  

#16  We will have no choice. Only the politically connected or wealthy will be able to indulge in the real thing. It will be marketed as positively as possible. Turn in your appliances for credits. Exciting, fun, healthy and convenient. Health why worry. This food will make you young and live years longer. Citizen it is your duty to save the planet for yourself and future generations. With the medical history we have we can produce for you your optimum needs (valium, lithium etc.for that little extra kick).
Posted by: Dale   2011-06-27 16:24  

#15  Will this be a good replacement for Brown-25?
Posted by: Anonymoose   2011-06-27 15:40  

#14  Also, what it is fed has a tremendous effect upon the flavor.

This sounds to have more of a medical field than food industry application.
Posted by: swksvolFF   2011-06-27 14:12  

#13  But what do they have to feed these cells in order to grow?

Ah, someone hits the nail on the head. Growing cells in industrial quantities is a matter of applied technology. The "What to feed them?" question is economics.

Your basic cow is essentially an bioreactor that takes a low-grade input, grass, and uses it to culture micro-organisms that feed on otherwise indigestible cellulose. The cow processes the micro-oranisms into tasty cow-meat that we find on our grocer's shelves. To be economical, you are going to have to beat Cow + Grass = Meat.

As for SciAm, once upon a time, it was a scientific journal back before it turned into Discovery Lite.
Posted by: SteveS   2011-06-27 13:01  

#12  The answer, Spot (#4) is grant money.
Posted by: Bobby   2011-06-27 12:01  

#11  If they could make it so the finished product was almost identical to the original, this would be a wonderful invention. It would allow for cheap meat that a lot of the world craves and keeps a lot of pathogens out of the food chain.

Personally, I think it is a good idea to try. If they can get a nice marbled steak grown in the lab for $1/pound, I'm all over that!
Posted by: DarthVader   2011-06-27 11:23  

#10  Something new for the frankenfood crowd to go nuts over.
Posted by: My two cents   2011-06-27 11:18  

#9  GM Crops bad.

Stem Veal good.

The only thing more full of it than Europe must be Sciam. These are the same people who put together a full spread advocating - yes the right word - the reintroduction of ice age animals to roam freely across the midwest. Basically, op-ed spreads.
Posted by: swksvolFF   2011-06-27 10:46  

#8  one small burger for a man

one giant bite for mankind
Posted by: Lord Garth   2011-06-27 09:27  

#7  They already are doing it.

Soylent Brown.......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lscSKq3kzbo
Posted by: Every Day a Wildcat(KSU)   2011-06-27 09:19  

#6  The taste will be different because it won't have any blood.
Posted by: Ptah   2011-06-27 09:07  

#5  But what do they have to feed these cells in order to grow?

See #1
Posted by: CrazyFool   2011-06-27 08:28  

#4  But what do they have to feed these cells in order to grow?
Posted by: Spot   2011-06-27 08:05  

#3  Soylent Pink!
Posted by: Clem Glavising9449   2011-06-27 06:46  

#2  I like calamari.
Posted by: Skidmark   2011-06-27 03:50  

#1  Bullshit.
Posted by: Redneck Jim   2011-06-27 03:00  

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