Comments on: Artificial Meat

By: Countertop

Countertop — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 14:50:33 +0000

Violet, The problem with your approach is that it essentially amounts to specicide (is that a word-genocide of a species???). As the NY Times says today

But also treasure the cultural and historical bond between humans and domesticated animals. Historically speaking, they exist only because of the uses we have found for them, and preserving their existence means, in most cases, preserving the uses we have made for them. It will be a barren world if the herds and flocks disappear in favor of meat grown in a laboratory tank

Me, I love nothing more than a fat piece of juicy bacon. Had a bacon egg and cheese sandwich, think I'll grab me a bacon cheddar cheese burger for lunch. Mmm Mmmm Mmmm

By: Bitter

Bitter — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 14:10:29 +0000

My own reason for regularly eating meat/dairy/eggs is because they are yummy. Mmmmm…

Should I get the cheesesteak for lunch today?

By: Violet Kanda

Violet Kanda — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 04:14:55 +0000

I stop eating farm animal flesh/eggs/dairy almost 30 years ago after I watched debeaking of chicks on screen when we had AR meeting.
If I can get fake meat without farm animals, I have nothing against it because it is morally right thing for us to do as civilized compassionate people.
People who eat meat/dairy/eggs are indirectly responsible for life long horrible torture and death of farm animals in factly farms because over 85-90% animal products are from factory farmed animals.
Many people think farm animals in small family owned farms are less cruelly treated but nothing humane about killing animals while they are in full conscious.
When farm animals are viewed as food animals, there is no way for livestock farmers to treat their farm animals humanely.
My reason for avoiding meat/dairy/eggs is not just humane reason but also for my own health and environment.

By: Gregory Morris

Gregory Morris — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 00:55:46 +0000

Alcibiades McZombie: as well as all of the other organ meat that is used in various cuisines… which begs the question, if you clone all of the useful parts of a cow, why not just have an entire cow?

By: Alcibiades McZombie

Alcibiades McZombie — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 20:28:21 +0000

They’d also have to clone leather…

By: Lysander

Lysander — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 17:37:11 +0000

It was a bit of a rhetorical question (moreso had I asked if it was Kosher - for Passover. ;) ).

I agree that the answer is most likely “no” as well. Depending on how fast the cloning technology matures and the vat beef becomes “accepted” into society as a food, it will put PETA and its fellow-travelers on a collision course with Kashrut (the dietary laws).

By: Sebastian

Sebastian — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 17:00:07 +0000

Interesting question Lysander. I’m guessing the answer would be “no” but I’m sure there are Rabbis who are happy not to have to deal with that particular issue right now.

By: Lysander

Lysander — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 16:55:28 +0000

The next question - would vat-grown beef be Kosher?

By: Gregory Morris

Gregory Morris — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 01:41:24 +0000

You’re right… I just hate seeing PETA happy about anything.

I actually haven’t eaten meat in almost 40 days (it is lent, on the Orthodox calendar… less than a week left though) so I might just be cranky about meat-related topics.

By: Sebastian

Sebastian — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 00:52:45 +0000

I have little doubt PETA wants this so they can shut down meat production… but that should be something the market decides.

By: Gregory Morris

Gregory Morris — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 23:03:59 +0000

But can you grow chicken wings?!?

I’m all for research, especially if it is geared towards providing protein to people who would otherwise go without. Or growing meat on long-term space missions (test-tube bacon has got to be better than tube-of-borscht.) But I have a problem with PETA thinking this can be held up as a reason we can shut down cattle ranches since we have test-tube meat. The latter simply can’t replace the former. If they want to support this research, that’s fine. But I’ll bet you a case of beer that when lab-meat becomes economically viable, PETA will only use it as an anti-farm, anti-hunting political tool.

You give credit to crazy tree-hugging hippies too easily ;)

By: Cam

Cam — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 23:02:37 +0000

I actually eat vegetarian sausage patties made by Morningstar Farms. They taste remarkably like real sausage (don’t get the sausage links though… yecch!). They’re lower in calories and fat than real sausage patties, which allows me to eat more cheeseburgers per week than I normally would!

Yeah, PETA’s still not gonna be happy with me.