As a thinking experiment, let us consider that on the 1st of January of 2025 it is announced that an advance making possible growing any kind of animal tissue in laboratory conditions as been achieved and that it is possible to scale it in order to achieve industrial grade production level.
There is no limit on which animal tissues can be grown, so, any species is achieveable, only being needed a small cell sample from an animal to start production, and the cultivated tissues are safe for consumption.
There won’t be any perceiveable price change to the end consummer, as the growing is a complex and labour intensive process, requiring specialized equipments and personnel.
Would you change to this new diet option?
In a heartbeat. Although I’d prefer meat alternatives to lab grown meat. Like impossible burgers.
I don’t eat a ton of meat, and I’d like to eat even less. this option would help me feel like I’m not making animals suffer just so I can survive.
Impossible burgers are extremely unhealthy, full of processed flours and additives. It’s best to not eat any “meat” at all, and instead eat whole vegan foods, than eat these things. Lab grown meat, if it’s like real meat, is much more desirable health-wise.
Lab grown beef isn’t going to be healthier than vegan fake meats, you can’t make saturated fat be good for you even if it’s from a lab.
This fear mongering about veg replacement meats is mostly manufactured and not a mainstream view among dietitians.
Saturated fat is not evil, this is an old idea that has been debunked by latest research.
Yeah, so does smoking tobacco ! I assure you it has been debunked by Marlboro ! Smoking is healthy !
Mixed research has come out, if it was debunked it wouldn’t be nearly so mixed. Regardless, the idea that plant based food is unhealthy because it uses ‘processed flours’ (literally all flours are processed?) is a fringe view.
Processed food is bad, this is common knowledge. Saturated fat is nothing compared to it. These fake burgers are ultra processed in order to feel like meat. Just do a search about processed foods on the guardian and nytimes in the last year. A LOT of new research has come out about it.
I thought you said it was common knowledge. is it groundbreaking research?
It would be a novelty at best, though I’m not a big meat eater (flexatarian). I’d rather have tempeh or plant based meat
I’ve been vegan for almost 25 years, and vegetarian for couple years before that… and I’d be happy it existed, but I wouldn’t eat it. I don’t miss meat, and the idea of eating any of it just grosses me out.
Same, I get why beyond meat exists but I can’t touch the stuff myself and it sucks when that’s the only option available
I actually like Beyond/Impossible lol. I guess for me it’s about knowing that it’s made out of vegetables.
Lots of comments along the lines of “only if it tastes the same” but no one seems to consider the possibility of it tasting better. Like what if lab grown meat is an orgasm for your mouth?
Baseline for the average person will be the make-believe-meats already on the market. Can’t blame them.
Personally, if you want to cut back on meat consumption, just cut it and enrich your diet with other ingredients and new dishes and cooking styles. For me, the entire industry of the meat-that-isn’t is an ugly grab for the wallets of people, not something necessary.
Meat should be a luxury.
Sure, why not? I don’t eat meat currently but I’d prolly throw in a lab burger or two occasionally if they were available
Kind of depends on if it’s good, tbh.
If it’s just mediocre, I might try and work it in some meals where I’d use lower quality meat (e.g. sauces, sausage, burgers, etc). Then I’d just get a good real steak from a local ranch a few times a year to scratch that itch.
If the difference is not really perceivable or better, then hell yeah. Easy choice. I might even venture into other meats that I wouldn’t eat otherwise like lamb, dog, horse, or even human.
Yes, of course. I’ll be among the first in line to try it. Anything to reduce our dependence on livestock is a good idea in my book. It would save me the trouble of having to go vegan. Plus I bet guilt-free meat tastes so much better.
I’d try it.
I am extremely unkeen on handing control of all food production to large corporations.
Agreed!
Labs be like
Fair
Only if I could put my own DNA in it so I could eat my own ass
sucking your own meat would be crazy
I… really don’t have a reply to that. Autophagy? Perhaps?
No, I’ll stick to my delicious plants. I don’t really like meat.
Yes and I hope the tech can replace dairy too.
Almond milk is good. Tastes really close to dairy milk, IMO. Dare I say it’s even better.
A lot of milk replacements are common allergens. I can’t eat almonds. A lot of people can’t have soy. I’m guessing very few people are allergic to all of them, though.
The only thing I’d wait for is for the process to be refined enough to be more eco friendly than just eating real meat. I’d do it, but until there’s proof of it being more sustainable and won’t tank my blood thin/thickness levels (blood thinners sometimes suck), I would be down to try it at the very least.
Though I would receive resistance in changing my diet until either my dad changes his eating habits or I move out on my own because my dad absolutely refuses things like plant based meats, so I know he’d most likely resist lab grown meat as well. It’s also hard for my mom and I to switch to a healthier dinner diet since both my dad and older brother wouldn’t dare change their diets to something like a Mediterranean or some other healthier because they can be picky eaters (especially my older brother).
Absolutely. I’ll take grown meat over slaughtered. Last i heard they basically just need to make the equipment cheaper to have it be viable. I’m awaiting it.
The day it’s on the shelf is the day I’ll buy it.
