Poll: Would you eat in vitro meat?

[Naeo]

All other things being equal (taste, cost, etc), yeah, I can see myself going for it. I don't know if I'd necessarily fall head over heels to eat it, but I certainly wouldn't actively avoid it at the very least.

 

[Zealous]

Currently a vegetarian for various reasons and I'd be fine with eating vitro meat every once in a while if it tastes decent, is affordable and has some good nutritional content.

 

[Aramis Night]

Yes, please let it be that way! The alternative would be either bugs, which is still okay, but the third option would be to produce meat from our feces salvaged from the sewage.

I prefer the option of our own excess live young. Seems like a better option than eating our own excrement or bugs.

We don't have excess live young, at-least not in the west, with our falling birth rates we need every baby we can get!

OT: No real problems with vitro meat, as long as it tastes good and is cost-effective. Hell, they could grow meat from animals that aren't usually farmed for environmental, traditional or economic reasons... who's up for Elephant burger?

What could we possibly need more babies for? To replace ourselves? Why do we need to replace ourselves? We don't have the resources to take care of the people we have now without a complete restructuring of how we live. And since we aren't willing to commit to that as a species, we should limit birth rates drastically.

At least by cannibalizing our young we make them a resource rather than a drain on the rest of our resources. Preferably by harvesting them in the womb before they gain consciousness(i'm not cruel).

 

[JoJo]

Yes, please let it be that way! The alternative would be either bugs, which is still okay, but the third option would be to produce meat from our feces salvaged from the sewage.

I prefer the option of our own excess live young. Seems like a better option than eating our own excrement or bugs.

We don't have excess live young, at-least not in the west, with our falling birth rates we need every baby we can get!

OT: No real problems with vitro meat, as long as it tastes good and is cost-effective. Hell, they could grow meat from animals that aren't usually farmed for environmental, traditional or economic reasons... who's up for Elephant burger?

What could we possibly need more babies for? To replace ourselves? Why do we need to replace ourselves? We don't have the resources to take care of the people we have now without a complete restructuring of how we live. And since we aren't willing to commit to that as a species, we should limit birth rates drastically.

At least by cannibalizing our young we make them a resource rather than a drain on the rest of our resources. Preferably by harvesting them in the womb before they gain consciousness(i'm not cruel).

Babies are barely conscious when they are born so that's hardly an issue, however limiting birth rates drastically would be a terrible move. We need young workers to support our economy and pay our pensions in our old age, or do you want to keep on working until you literally drop dead?

 

[Requia]

I like my meat on the bone. All that cartilage and marrow are as important to me.

But since I can't be arsed to cook that way all the time, sure, as long as it's actually nutritionally equivalent, I have my doubts there.

 

[MetalMagpie]

I can't be a vegetarian for medical reasons

Iron deficiency or something else?

I ask mainly because I know my sister's ex-boyfriend had some sort of condition that meant there was something wrong with his red blood cells (either not enough of them or didn't work right) which meant he was anaemic a lot and was encouraged to take iron supplements, eat steaks, etc.

I can't remember anything else about his condition except that it was bad. Permanent, incurable, definitely-going-to-shorten-your-life kind of bad.

 

[McMullen]

Nope, Surely it cant be as good as real meat? What makes good meat good is the fact that its been part of a real animal, working the muscles and body parts you eat, for all of its life, and living off decent food.

Which manifests as muscle fiber, concentrations of fat, and a few other physical/chemical attributes that, while not simple, are probably not far beyond the current reach of the technology. So, if they did recreate those flavors, would you eat it then?

 

[Aramis Night]

Yes, please let it be that way! The alternative would be either bugs, which is still okay, but the third option would be to produce meat from our feces salvaged from the sewage.

I prefer the option of our own excess live young. Seems like a better option than eating our own excrement or bugs.

We don't have excess live young, at-least not in the west, with our falling birth rates we need every baby we can get!

OT: No real problems with vitro meat, as long as it tastes good and is cost-effective. Hell, they could grow meat from animals that aren't usually farmed for environmental, traditional or economic reasons... who's up for Elephant burger?

What could we possibly need more babies for? To replace ourselves? Why do we need to replace ourselves? We don't have the resources to take care of the people we have now without a complete restructuring of how we live. And since we aren't willing to commit to that as a species, we should limit birth rates drastically.

At least by cannibalizing our young we make them a resource rather than a drain on the rest of our resources. Preferably by harvesting them in the womb before they gain consciousness(i'm not cruel).

Babies are barely conscious when they are born so that's hardly an issue, however limiting birth rates drastically would be a terrible move. We need young workers to support our economy and pay our pensions in our old age, or do you want to keep on working until you literally drop dead?

Why not have people pay for their own pensions like they are supposed to. Why choose instead to be parasites to the younger generation. A healthy economy is based on trade of goods and services. You only need 2 people for that. Not 8+ billion.
As for working till we drop dead. That is what the vast majority of people did throughout history and many people across the world still do. I'd venture to guess most people in fact, assuming they are able to get employment at all since now they have to compete against 8+ billion other people for a job. It seems like an incredibly entitled attitude to believe that you should not have to work to support yourself your whole life.

 

[ninjaRiv]

If it's safe and tasty, I'll eat it. What would be cool is if they start cloning human meat for eating.

 

[Wadders]

Nope, Surely it cant be as good as real meat? What makes good meat good is the fact that its been part of a real animal, working the muscles and body parts you eat, for all of its life, and living off decent food.

Which manifests as muscle fiber, concentrations of fat, and a few other physical/chemical attributes that, while not simple, are probably not far beyond the current reach of the technology. So, if they did recreate those flavors, would you eat it then?

I know this sounds like a cop out, but I'm not entirely sure.

If the flavour and texture of quality, naturally reared meat could be replicated, then I suppose there is no real reason why I shouldn't then eat it. As long as the flavour wasn't being added via additives etc. that would not occur naturally within the meat if it was part of an animal.

On the other hand, somehow I would still feel a lot more comfortable eating meat from an animal that I knew had been raised on decent feed, in an environment that allowed it to live well and all that. I'd know to a reasonable degree of certainty where said animal came from, and what had been done to it throughout its life, and the process of turning it into meat for consumption. ABut that's just me.

Currently though, this vitro meat seems like it would be better suited for cheap, mass production of meat for processed food perhaps?

So yeah, if it got to a point where they could replicate quality natural meat, with methods that were safe and regulated, avoiding artificial flavourings, then yes I would give it a try. But otherwise I would avoid it, as I try to avoid other processed meat.

 

[Fluffythepoo]

The factory approach to meat production is why meat comes saturated with antibiotics and viruses now adays. The approach is so terrible and poorly regulated that even crops near the factories get contaminated (spinach doesnt just spontaneously get covered in salmonella). Making it so meat can only be produced in factories in even more bacteria and virus friendly environments that have even less regulations than current meat production does does not bode well for consumers. This approach to meat production will only exacerbate antibiotic usage (as this is currently the only cost effective approach to mass production in factories) and encourage the continuation of the already unsustainable diets of developed nations. We need to eat less meat not more.

Yes, please let it be that way! The alternative would be either bugs, which is still okay, but the third option would be to produce meat from our feces salvaged from the sewage.

I prefer the option of our own excess live young. Seems like a better option than eating our own excrement or bugs.

We don't have excess live young, at-least not in the west, with our falling birth rates we need every baby we can get!

OT: No real problems with vitro meat, as long as it tastes good and is cost-effective. Hell, they could grow meat from animals that aren't usually farmed for environmental, traditional or economic reasons... who's up for Elephant burger?

What could we possibly need more babies for? To replace ourselves? Why do we need to replace ourselves? We don't have the resources to take care of the people we have now without a complete restructuring of how we live. And since we aren't willing to commit to that as a species, we should limit birth rates drastically.

At least by cannibalizing our young we make them a resource rather than a drain on the rest of our resources. Preferably by harvesting them in the womb before they gain consciousness(i'm not cruel).

Babies are barely conscious when they are born so that's hardly an issue, however limiting birth rates drastically would be a terrible move. We need young workers to support our economy and pay our pensions in our old age, or do you want to keep on working until you literally drop dead?

Why not have people pay for their own pensions like they are supposed to. Why choose instead to be parasites to the younger generation. A healthy economy is based on trade of goods and services. You only need 2 people for that. Not 8+ billion.
As for working till we drop dead. That is what the vast majority of people did throughout history and many people across the world still do. I'd venture to guess most people in fact, assuming they are able to get employment at all since now they have to compete against 8+ billion other people for a job. It seems like an incredibly entitled attitude to believe that you should not have to work to support yourself your whole life.

1. You don't understand how pensions work (or what they are for that matter) if you think people don't pay for their own pensions.
2. You don't understand what an economy is if you think less people improves an economy.
3. You don't understand how macroeconomics work if you think global competition reduces chance of employment.

And the majority of people also had a life expectancy of 20, were illiterate, uneducated, violent, and stupid. Our goal is to move away from that, you're welcome to join us, or you can burn up your pension and keep living in the bronze age. And while a lovely age it was, it kind of sucked to have to live in it.

 

[King of Asgaard]

Well, I don't eat meat anyway, aside from chicken, but if it's good enough to make me change that, then I'm all for it.

 

[axil56]

OK so we can theoretically make meat which was never part of an animal and therefore eliminate the need to slaughter animals for food... yeah I'm good with that.

 

[Nickolai77]

Assuming vitro meat is found to be safe to eat, i think you'll have to be pretty hypocritical to eat processed meat but not eat vitro meat.

If vitro meat can also be produced in industrial qualities then there's going to be environmental benefits as well, because with less lifestock there's less pollution andde-forestation may become less of a problem- because a lot of forest in upland areas around the world is cut down to make way for grazing animals. In addition, if a whole new industry emerges around vitro-meat production then potentially there are many medical benefits to be realised as our knowledge about artificial tissue creation is bound to expand.

 

[kailus13]

As long as it tastes the same and has a similiar texture, sure no reason not to. I think that there will still be a demand for normal meat though, people like what is familiar.

 

[Frission]

I'm conflicted. On one hand, being able to make meat in a way which won't take huge amounts of pastureland would be nice, but on the other hand I doubt that it's going to taste the same as "normal meat".


Progress marches on, so maybe we'll be eating in vitro meat in the future. If it's going to be more efficient than normal meat, than I'll all for it.

EDIT:

Pros: Potentially more efficient and environmentally friendly

Cons: The taste and the safety of the product (although considering the regular cholera outbreaks in the US due to the problems with the industrialization of food, it might not be worse than what many are already eating).

 

[minimacker]

Honestly, I'm psyched. Imagine lab-grown meat free from any parasites, bacteria or harmful substances.

I'm also curious how the vegetarians are going to react to it. Not the ones who "dislike the taste", but the ones who are vegetarian simply due to the animal cruelty in producing.

 

[Schadrach]

Assuming the taste is the same, then it's all about price.

Even moreso if it can be applied to non-beef meats, as in an ideal world this means cheap lamb.

 

[Mycroft Holmes]

I'd probably stick to normal meat for awhile at least. Meat is one of those things you want to be careful about in your consumption of and the sure thing is better than experimenting. Of course in time if it proves itself to be just as good and has no adverse affects that I see no reason not to.

someone is going to take this to an extreme though "its not canibalism if its not directly from any human being", etc never underestimate the human capacity to do messed up shit just because they can.

How is that messed up? There's nothing inherently evil about eating a certain type of meat. Just because it makes you uncomfortable doesn't make it wrong. That's the same kind of argument a lot of people use to stop homosexuals from getting married.