All the Meat you can GROW?

The New Yorker, a week and a half ago (sorry I'm a little bit behind on my reading), had a very interesting article on "TEST TUBE BURGERS" While the title is meant to be head-turning the actual topic at hand is something called "In-vitro meat." The term is something I'm sure you've never heard of but it is something people have been talking about for years, the idea is nothing new to science fiction novels and films but is it actually possible? And would you eat it?

In-vitro meat would be meat that is grown outside of the body. The idea is that scientists could take a couple of cells from an animal and then place them into a nutrient bath and as the cells grow together to form muscle they can be attached to a bio-degradable scaffold. Then this 'muscle' tissue could be stretched and molded into any type of meat one would want. Originally this seemed like an obscure joke but as technology is advancing the possibility of something like this actually working is getting nearer all the time. "Teams are forming at universities around the world. Some are interested primarily in animal welfare, others in regenerative medicine; still others see lab meat as a potential solution to an environmental crisis. They share a goal, however: to grow muscle with out the use of animals, and to produce enough of it to be sold in grocery stores."

One of the most interesting things I found in the article was how, PETA was supporting this whole idea! They initially offered 1 million dollars to the first group that could produce an in-vitro meat product that was indistinguishable from real chicken flesh in both taste and texture. To me this sounds pretty far from PETA's usual stance on animal testing (even cosmetically!) PETA's Co-founder and President Ingrid Newkirk is quoted in the article saying, "If people are unwilling to stop eating animals by the billions, then what a joy to be able to give them animal flesh that comes without the horror of the slaughterhouse, the transport truck, and the mutilations, pain and suffering of factory farming." Which is something she does make a good point on, if this process seems wrong because it's unnatural, the current food system we maintain is anything but natural. How much farther is growing meat from eating animals that never see the light of day, are pumped with anti-biotics and fed unnatural diets, or even genetically modifying crops?

The current food system is unsustainable, its become dangerous for our environment, the animals and ourselves. According to the article, "...eighty per cent of all farmland is devoted to the production of meat. By 2030, the world will likely consume seventy per cent more meat than it did in 2000." The world currently consumes two hundred and eighty-five million tons of meat each year which equates to about ninety pounds per person! (And I ain't taking my share if you know what I mean haha.) "The global population is expected to rise from seven billion to more than nine billion by the year 2050." There's just no healthy way to continue down this path! "In countries like China and India, moving from a heavily plant-based diet to one dominated by meat has become an essential symbol of a middle-class life." And I haven't even mentioned the problems on our own health this meat-intake has taken, "Seventy per cent of all antibiotics and related drugs consumed in the United States are fed to hogs, poultry and beef. In most cases to promote growth, and not for any therapeutic reason." And in eating animals humans have exposed themselves and created a whole slew of diseases including SARS, the bird flu, and AIDS. "The World Health Organization has attributed a third of the world's deaths to the twin epidemics of diabetes and cardiovascular disease, both greatly influenced by the excessive consumption of animal fats." Still think you need meat with every meal? Then maybe in-vitro meat is the answer for your future meals. The article goes on to say that eating engineered meat could even be good for you (in a phrase that I absolutely love) "instead of committing slow suicide by over dosing on saturated fats" the in-vitro meat could be infused with heat disease-preventing omega-3 fatty acids! And with in-vitro meat the idea according to one scientist is, "to take the meat provided from one animal and create the volume previously created by millions of animals."

Change your mind yet? Well regardless the technology is not there yet, so you don't have to decide before the next time you go to the market, but it is right around the corner. And I must say the whole idea is very interesting. AND if your sole reason for becoming a vegetarian was the deaths of animals this could be the loop whole you're looking for! But as for me I think I'll stick with my veggies and tofu!

---------------------------------------------------
All quotes are from the article "Test-Tube Burgers" by Michael Specter, The New Yorker (May 23) pgs 32-38 and the article dives much deeper into the economics and science of the whole ordeal so if you're interested I highly recommend you track down the article and read it for yourself, it's very thought provoking!