APR 24

Animals are adorable...but meat is tasty. So what is the solution? Well, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals have decided that, indeed, they would be quite happy eating meat....just so long as it isn't grown on an animal.

PETA is offering a USD$1 M prize to the first research group who can create a way to grow commercially viable meat in the laboratory. Now, I'm all for this, but almost every single environmentalist I know finds it very creepy. To me, growing meat on an animal seems like an inherently inefficient process. I mean, you've got to pump tons of food into this living thing so it can create bones and brains and move around and have sex and think little thoughts and create, as almost a side effect, a small amount of food. In the end, you only get back a tiny fraction of the energy you put in.

Granted....it's a very tasty fraction.

Growing meat in the lab isn't a pipe dream. In fact, people are doing it right now. Already, skin grafts can be grown to assist burn victims. And, basically, we're just talking about frying that tissue instead of using it to help sick people. Also, theoretically, we wouldn't be using human tissue as a seed stock...though that opens up some interesting philosophical doors.

PETA's announcement comes on the heels of the completion of the first-ever in vitro meat symposium in Norway where scientists began to organize their efforts. One of the key challenges they faced, they said, was lack of funding (surprise!) Though PETA's $1M prize probably won't add all that much incentive...it is good press...and a good endorsement.

Many of the enviros I've talked to are somewhat repulsed by the idea, a sentiment I absolutely don't understand. But the real problem is technical feasibility. Creating a sheet of pure protein is one thing. But lacing it with the blood vessels, fat pockets, and complex proportions is another story all together. Chances are, the first in vitro meats are not going to be very tasty at all.

Theoretically, the meat could be grown from a single sample from an animal, allowing the possibility for new kinds of meats that could otherwise never be consumed. I don't know why this sounds so appealing to me...but if the pig can create so many fantastic flavors...what are we missing out on by not eating penguins and polar bears?

And, unless they're very cheap, probably won't be a simple thing to market either. In any case, fake meat is likely going to be a part of our future, and with farm animals contributing to the twin global challenges of massive habitat destruction and global warming, it can't come too soon.

Thanks PETA.

Comments (23)

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Yuck
written by Jessica, April 24, 2008

This post gave me the heebie jeebies. Grown meat. Gross.
Who wants to yell? "Solient Green is people!"
I know its not the same thing, but it makes me think of it. Then again, whenever I see the cover art on the VHS of Rosemary's Baby, I think of the song, "Someone left the cake out in the rain", so maybe I'm just a little crazy.

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written by meesha, April 24, 2008

I think that before PETA offers a $1 million dollar prize, they should re-think the several thousand cats and dogs they euthanize in the state of Virginia (where their headquarters is located)each year...perhaps that money would be better spent sheltering and adopting out those animals. Hypocrites.

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written by MarkR, April 24, 2008

First of all I am a member of PETA (People Eat Tasty Animals). Second I'm all for growing skin ears etc on the back of rats for burn victoms etc. third there is nothing that a human can do to make meat more efficient to grow when you take into account R&D and the other costs associated with this type of endeavor. I don't think we are smart enough yet.

But most of all I prefer my meat to come right off the Hoof if you catch my drift. But it would be nice to easily reproduce some delicacies like rattlesnake, frog legs, Armadillo and Texas Doll sheep. Man this talk is making me hungry.

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I'd hit eat it
written by Julian, April 24, 2008

If it's nutritious, tasty and affordable, I'd have no problem in accepting those proteins into my organism.

Current food production is way more gross than in-vitro meat. Hamburgers, sausages and so many other foods that are constructed with disgusting production leftovers, in horrible processes. But they're so god damn delicious in the end! Massive chicken farming is gross and sickening too... but that doesn't keep me from enjoying that tasty white meat.

For a taste of penguin and polar bear, ask/join hunters They get to know the taste of many animals that are not available at the supermarket.

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As an experiment yes. But it's not eco-f
written by Juli Lehnen, April 24, 2008

I wouldn't eat it. I think the chemicals and inputs involved with creating such a food would be more of an environmental damage than it would be a success. Especially on a commercial level.

I think if people don't want to be involved with inefficient meat, they should just go veggie or eat meat less frequently.

Good veggie products are just as tasty as meat is, so I don't understand why we cling to that so much. However, I'm not a fan of "meat substitutes" in general, and would prefer just some cubes of tofu, lentils, or beans.

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Meat is tasty
written by Josh, April 24, 2008

Meat is tasty and though too much isn't good for you, it provides so much more than a vegan diet of tofu and vegetables ever could. The reason we even have meat is because it was so great for us as hunter/gatherers and we decided to domesticate and eat them. And even if it's not too appetizing to think about hamburger, but if we didn't turn the leftovers into something we'd be wasting so much. Wouldn't it be worse to waste all that meat?

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written by Thomas, April 25, 2008

I would like to know what PETA people think about animals killing animals in a horrible way since millions years ago. Killing for meat is totally natural.
The only green thing I see here is that if it works, it will probably be more land efficient than cows and it will save forests, but PETA's focus on how to treat animals has nothing to do with the enviroment.

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please pass the nuts and berries....
written by eatingorange, April 25, 2008

This is really out there. Have PETA completely lost their minds? We love to eat meat but we don't like to kill animals? Given a choice of eating meat grown in a lab or going vegan, I say "bring on the soy nuggets".

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Love the idea (for other people)
written by Justin, April 25, 2008

I'm a long time Vegan. I won't be eating it, but considering the huge impact that animal husbandry has, I'm all for fake meat. You can't tell me that people who think $.99 is a good price for a nutritional meal care where their meat came from... and just that segment of the population switching to fake meat would arguably do more for the environment than everyone going hybrid (or electric). Yeay for fake meat!

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written by nuvi, April 25, 2008

i'm for it, as long as its a less energy and water intensive then growing animals

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Just because its natural, doesn't mean i
written by Mark, April 25, 2008

@Thomas: Slavery was perfectly natural for millenia, but that doesn't mean it should continue. Just because the natural order is that humans eat meat, it doesn't mean we don't have the ability to elevate ourselves above the level of base instincts and few choices. We now have a standard of living and technology that insulates us from the natural environment, and allows us some leeway. If we can use our technology to bring us something we like with fewer disadvantages then great.

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Yeah, but is it kosher?
written by Brooke, April 25, 2008

If meat is grown without cows or pigs or chickens, is it kosher/halal? If you're muslim, can you eat fake lab-grown pork chops? This will really give the rabbis and mullahs something to scratch their heads over...

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written by Stephen Davis, April 25, 2008

I think most of you are missing the premise of the process. Pork would still be pork, beef would still be beef. It wouldn't be synthetic or chemical, it would be animal cells encouraged to grow in a lab setting, and maybe eventually a mass production facility. Still just animal cells though, minus the animal. Creepy as it sounds, it would solve more than just cruelty issues. It could save vast swaths of rainforest, cut down on food-born illnesses, improve human rights in other countries, etc..

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About Food and Sharing
written by Juka, April 25, 2008

Meat is traditional product, it must be safe and of available quality.
I would prefer the meat of local origin.
Nutritional culture is very important when is motivated. Every consumer to be motivated must have general knowledge about food and nutrition.
And realize, that the Food is for sharing firstly - it is the first Sacramantal Rule.
Be happy and healthy everybody!

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Been to an abattoir lately?
written by Charlie Mere, April 25, 2008

For those of you that say that humans killing and eating meat is the natural way of things, take a visit to the meat industy - we are many years past the 'natural' way. Our huge demand has made the raising and killing of meat into a really quite sickeningly efficient and inhumane process. Plus it takes a huge amount of natural resources to feed our desire for meat, which is a big deal for anyone reading this site.
I love to eat meat, and if there's a way to eat it without all of that *unnatural* and cruel mass farming of animals, I'm there in a second...

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Just because its natural, doesn't mean i
written by Mark, April 25, 2008

@Thomas: Slavery was perfectly natural for millenia, but that doesn't mean it should continue. Just because the natural order is that humans eat meat, it doesn't mean we don't have the ability to elevate ourselves above the level of base instincts and few choices. We now have a standard of living and technology that insulates us from the natural environment, and allows us some leeway. If we can use our technology to bring us something we like with fewer disadvantages then great.

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You are what you eat?
written by Phil Plasma, April 25, 2008

Given that what we eat has such a tremendous impact on our health, I would be hesitant to eat the fake meat unless we would be able to know what the long-term consequences would be of people who eat fake meat on a regular basis.

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written by Virgil, April 25, 2008

Nice discussion of the realities involved in this process, over at PZ Myers' blog, Pharyngula...
http://scienceblogs.com/pharyn...e_got.php

Bottom line - its a lot more complicated than you think, and animals look like a pretty decent solution for the immediate future.

Mmmmmm, meeeeeeeeet! /homer

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I wasn't talking about humans killing fo
written by Thomas, April 25, 2008

If I mentioned MILLIONS of years ago, it is obvious that I wasn't talking about humans. Of course I will prefer true fake meat if someday it is possible.
What I wanted to know if what PETA have to say about animal killing that has been and will be happening before and after humans, even if we grow in vitro meat.

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written by Grant, April 25, 2008

The prize isn't actually much of an incentive due to the fact that you have to prove that you have an economically viable production plan already underway before you can win it. There's a great article about it on Slate: http://www.slate.com/id/2189693/

The problem with this whole thing is that once again we're sidestepping the real issues of over-consumption and food distribution. I have a feeling that if we try to replace all our current meat consumption this way we'll just end up with another pile of problems.

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written by Bob, April 25, 2008

PETA is an ignorant, arrogant, miserable bunch of self-promoting hypocrites. Instead of exploring the potential "wonder" (horror) of manufactured meat, why not focus on the true roots of the problem, which is suburban sprawl, habitat loss and human overpopulation? Factory raised meat,be it cow, hog,bird, etc. leaves something to be desired, for sure. However, farm raised, free range & organically raised animals for food is natural, humane and quite tasty....

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written by cally, May 06, 2008

Personally, I wouldn’t touch the stuff. I’m a vegetarian and while it has something to do with animal rights, my decision to become a vegetarian was mostly on taste. I never particularly liked the taste of meat. However, I’m not opposed to the idea of growing…fake…meat. Actually, I think it’s pretty intriguing.

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written by Aaerion, May 22, 2008

Watch Out PETA, for what you might wish for....
of course they want everyone to be vegans like they are....
but I prefer having meat 2-3X a week....
AND since I am allergic to many things, artificial meat would contain new chemicals that I'd probably react to....
Remember how a specific group wanted Flame Retardants in our mattresses; well now, those chemicals are toxic and they want them out!

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