Test-Tube Burgers Coming Soon

ananyo writes "A burger made entirely from lab-grown meat is expected to be unveiled by October this year. But costing in excess of $250,000, it's not going to be flying off supermarket shelves quite yet. The lab meat is produced using adult stem cells, which are then grown on scaffolds in cell-culture media. Because such lab-assembled muscle is weak, it has to be 'bulked up' by exposing to electric shocks. The researchers, based in the Netherlands, had already grown goldfish fillets in 2002, then fried them in breadcrumbs before giving them to an 'odor and sight' panel to assess whether they seemed edible." While I'm not overly enthusiastic about this Dutch attempt at growing burgers, it is a huge step-up from the Japanese effort.

Re:Using this technique

[DaMattster]

I don't know why but this concept gives me the creeps because we don't really understand all there is to know about genetics. By creating meat in a lab, there is no way to be sure that it is exactly the same as nature intended it to be. In fact, our bodies may very well process it differently or it could be very detrimental to our health. It is better to use actual animals but figure out a way to make it more environmentally sound. For example, by harvesting the methane gas produced by cows, we are left with a rather abundant energy source. I am usually always skeptical of "simple" solutions because humanity is always looking for the magic pill for panacea and it just never happens. It is possible to be smart and economical about cattle farming while treating these animals humanely.

Re:Excited

[KiloByte]

Too bad, I give it 10-20 years from the moment this stuff hits the shelves until the first leftist country bans real meat.

Re:Question for the other Catholics

[bill_mcgonigle]

Does this qualify as meat during Lent? Or should I just stick to my Filet-O-Fishes (or is it Filets-O-Fish) for Friday?

They ret-con these things, but if it's 'flesh' in the religious eyes then you can't eat it on Fridays.

Except for beaver, because it spends most of its time in the water (no, really). So, have your Fillets 'O Beaver and be content in your righteousness. Or, read 1 Timothy 4 - your call.

Re:Question for the other Catholics

[Anonymous Coward]

Does this qualify as meat during Lent? Or should I just stick to my Filet-O-Fishes (or is it Filets-O-Fish) for Friday?

Since the whole point of abstaining from meat during Lent is "mortification of the flesh", you could probably go either way.

And people wonder why I left Catholicism and Christianity.

I spent this Sunday, BTW, having a Buddhist shifu explain reincarnation as a flame being transferred from one candle to another.

We as a species really need to get away from 2,500 Axial Age religions and bring our spiritual thought into the modern age.

If we don't, religion will destroy us.

Re:Question for the other Catholics

[Anonymous Coward]

No or little suffering unless your headshot is just a little bit off. That happened to me my first time out hunting. While I'd hypothetically go hunting again, I felt like a major asshole when my friend said "You shot the front of its head off" and it was bouncing up and down off the ground in what must have been horrific pain until my friend got close enough to blow the rest of its brains out.