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Biotech Science

Large Scale Production of Artificial Meat 201

Posted by timothy from the vat-meat-cometh dept.
Fraser Cain writes "Scientists at the University of Maryland think that large quantities of artificial meat could be produced to supply the world with animal-free meat products, like chickenless nuggets. This is based on experiments for NASA, that created small amounts of fish protein cultured from single cells. According to the researchers, larger quantities could be grown in thin sheets and then stacked up to create thickness. Of course, they need to figure out a way to exercise it to make it taste like regular meat."
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Large Scale Production of Artificial Meat More

Large Scale Production of Artificial Meat

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  • Chickenless Nuggets?! (Score:5, Funny)

    by passthecrackpipe ( 598773 ) * <passthecrackpipe.hotmail@com> on Wednesday July 06, 2005 @02:29PM (#12996778)
    I already get those at McDonalds today - who needs these acedemics to come up with this when you can just go out and buy it in the store?

  • Oh boy oh boy (Score:5, Funny)

    by Winterblink ( 575267 ) on Wednesday July 06, 2005 @02:30PM (#12996794) Homepage
    I can't wait to head down to the local supermarket and buy some "I Can't Believe It's Not Steak".
    • What about some imitation Soylent Green. "I can't believe it's not made of people".

  • May I be the first to say... (Score:5, Funny)

    by Mr.G5 ( 722745 ) on Wednesday July 06, 2005 @02:32PM (#12996813)
    Soylent Green is pppeeeooopppllleee!

  • Just not the same. (Score:5, Funny)

    by TripMaster Monkey ( 862126 ) * on Wednesday July 06, 2005 @02:32PM (#12996819)
    If no animal had to die for the meat, what's the point? Meat just isn't the same without the murder. ^_^
    "Broccoli will always taste like broccoli. But meat tastes like murder, and murder tastes pretty damned good, doesn't it?"
    -Denis Leary
    • LOL

      Thanks for that quote. Gave me my daily Slashdot chuckle. :)
    • If no animal had to die for the meat, what's the point? Meat just isn't the same without the murder.

      A little more seriously...if no animal had to die for the meat, what will this mean for voluntary (PETA-style) vegetarianism or veganism? What will it mean for religious vegetarianism?

      • Re:Just not the same. (Score:5, Insightful)

        by hab136 ( 30884 ) on Wednesday July 06, 2005 @03:39PM (#12997498) Journal
        A little more seriously...if no animal had to die for the meat, what will this mean for voluntary (PETA-style) vegetarianism or veganism? What will it mean for religious vegetarianism?

        Religious? Probably nothing - it's still actually meat, just carved from one giant contiually cloned, ever-living, non-sentient beast.

        PETA? They should embrace this, since the artificial meat will be non-sentient. I'm sure they'll have a problem with it though.. protesters tend to wrap up their identity in the fact that they're a protester. If you fix the problem they care about, they'll find something else to protest about, because otherwise they have to stop protesting.

        There are people that genuinely care about an issue, and aren't protesting as a lifestyle, and to those people - rock on. But many in protest organizations basically protest for a living.

        • Re:Just not the same. (Score:3, Interesting)

          by ivan256 ( 17499 ) *
          I'm sure they'll have a problem with it though.. protesters tend to wrap up their identity in the fact that they're a protester. If you fix the problem they care about, they'll find something else to protest about, because otherwise they have to stop protesting.

          In reality these type of people really don't care about the issue they're protesting. They care about changing people's lifestyles. They pick what to protest so that success is most likely to change people's lifestyle to what they think it should b
          • > Someday somebody will come up with a way to generate energy that, for all practical purposes, produces an infinite supply and is polution free

            Yeah and I'd like a pony. Why don't you go arrange that too?
        • Religious? Probably nothing - it's still actually meat, just carved from one giant contiually cloned, ever-living, non-sentient beast.

          Sounds like those canned trolls my D&D group used to use for emergency rations. Open the can, let it regenerate, and cut off a chunk.
        • Religious? Probably nothing - it's still actually meat, just carved from one giant contiually cloned, ever-living, non-sentient beast.

          What about vegetarianism in the spirit of ahimsa (do no harm) - not eating animals because you would be supporting killing them? Since it's not a living and sentient being, you're not harming it in any way.

          IANAB (I am not a Buddhist), though. Are there any here who'd like to respond?
          • What about vegetarianism in the spirit of ahimsa (do no harm) - not eating animals because you would be supporting killing them? Since it's not a living and sentient being, you're not harming it in any way.

            That's PETA-style vegetarianism, as far as I know, so I don't see why you couldn't eat the artificial meat.

            Specific religious things like "no pork" or "only fish on Fridays" probably won't allow you to eat artificial meat any more than you could eat regular.

        • I'm not a vegetarian, but I also eat very little meat.

          I don't care that you have to kill animals to eat meat, it isn't about that for me.

          For me, it's about stupid humans. Cases in point:

          1. It's stupid to feed a herbivorous animal meat or meat products, even if it makes them grow faster. They're still giving calves cow blood, they're still feeding cows meat. That's idiotic - no wonder we have prion diseases.

          2. Your average pig farm produces more industrial waste than your average power plant. The far
      • "What will it mean for religious vegetarianism?"
        That would depend on the religion and the reason for the vegetarianism.
        If it is "health" rule it might still be in effect.
        If it don't harm a life. Then it may or may not be in effect depending if the meat is considered to be alive enough or not. Some religions have a thing about touching much less eating any dead animal products.

      • I'm voluntary vegan.

        I don't think I would eat this cultured fish cell.

        > This could save you having to slaughter animals for food.
        Er, but I *don't* slaughter animals for food already.

        > With a single cell, you could theoretically produce the world's annual meat supply.

        You could even do that if the world meat demand went to zero.

        > .. placed them in a vat of nutrient-rich liquid. Within a week, the fish nuggets had become 16 percent bigger.

        > ... the current concoction .. : fetal bovine serum,
  • The true test, will be if the stuff tastes good.

    I know that eating fake meat will be better for the world, but people won't bite (Pun Intended) if it doesn't taste comperable to real meat.

    • Re:The True Test (Score:3, Insightful)

      by erlenic ( 95003 )
      I think it's more likely that people won't bite even if it does taste exactly the same as real meat. It's just not the same in most people's eyes. As for me, I'll eat it if it's cheaper or significantly better tasting. I also have to be able to grill it.
    • Yeah, it'll be great. Instead of ending the lives of livestock so we can eat 'em we can just not bother to breed them in the first place.

      Wait...

      The animals aren't alive either way. What makes this 'better' again?
      • There won't be millions of animals living in filthy terrible conditions.

        I think them not living through that by not living, would be better. But that's just an opinion.
        • The problem is that when you look at them you think "other living being" and not "food". I bet you don't do the same about brocolli though.

          You're going to kill and eat them. What difference does the rest of it make? It's not like giving them a cushy lifestyle is going to justify the ends... Hell, the ends don't even need to be justified.
          • Cows have intelligence and personality, tomatoes do not.

            And I'm not saying the ends need to be justified either. I'm just saying that the animals we eat are not treated very well.
        • Yea and we can pack more people into thouse filthy terrible places with dense high rise houseing.

      • What makes this 'better' again?

        Less cow poop in the environment, less dying screaming animals (Ever been to a slaughter house?), No debeaking the chickens and forcing hormones down their throat, less cows wallowing in their own shit.

        Animals do experience pain & misery... I doubt that brocolli feel the same way.

        I'm curious how they will provide nutrients for the fake meat -- considering that most (subsidized) grain grown in the US is used to feed the (subsidized) cattle, I'm curious if we can get goo
    • I'm not so sure. McDonalds hamburgers are pretty popular, and they taste like shit.

      I grew up in cow country, I was friends with ranchers and ate plenty of beef growing up. McDonalds hamburgers taste nothing like beef...
  • Artificial meat isn't too important yet. If there was a shortage of real meat it might be important. I doubt this will be widely adopted by vegetarians or other fetish groups that don't eat meat because it still resemble's meat and is made from fish proteins.
    • For me, it's not about a shortage of meat, but rather the environmental impact of mass producing meat. I live in Kansas. I often ask, "Yes, meat's fine and all, but could you make it without dumping tons of poop in the water?"

      I've been a vegetarian for six years not because I care about the animals and not because I think it's more healthy not to eat it and not because I don't like meat. I've done it because it's incredibly hard on the environment, and I just choose not to participate in that.

      It would be

    • And here's the theme song: (Score:2, Funny)

      by Anonymous Coward
      Virtual veal!
      It's not real!
      Taste'll give you zeal!
      Has a good feel!

      It can be steak!
      But yet it's fake!
      It's quick to bake!
      No animals at stake!

      Virtual veal!
      It's a good deal!
      Has lots of appeal!
      Make it your meal!

  • Get Your Wendy Burger Here (Score:4, Funny)

    by Madcapjack ( 635982 ) on Wednesday July 06, 2005 @02:56PM (#12997039)
    Our Burgers are Made from fresh vat grown Wendy Meat. You won't get a better Wendy Meat burger any where else!
  • Can I have some Coffiest [ralphmag.org] with my Chicken Little?

  • Why replace meat? (Score:5, Insightful)

    by computersareevil ( 244846 ) on Wednesday July 06, 2005 @03:17PM (#12997257)
    Why do those who are trying so hard to eliminate animal meat try so hard to make the replacements look, feel, and taste like meat? I've never understood that.

    • Re:Why replace meat? (Score:4, Insightful)

      by blincoln ( 592401 ) on Wednesday July 06, 2005 @03:36PM (#12997462) Homepage Journal
      Why do those who are trying so hard to eliminate animal meat try so hard to make the replacements look, feel, and taste like meat? I've never understood that.

      Uh... because meat generally tastes good? There are a lot of recipes that require it, or at least a reasonable facsimile? Barbecuing things is fun, and soy/wheat mock burgers and hotdogs work a lot better for that than a chunk of tofu?
      • Uh... because meat generally tastes good?
        I agree, and I eat meat, but it feels disingenous to me for those trying to eliminate animal meat to try and imitate it.
        • That's just ridiculous. It just is. Or are cadbury eggs wrong because they resemble real eggs?

          The only way to eliminate something people like is to perfectly replace it (or make it better) -- for example, the "butter" at movie theaters, or the "cheese" on nachos.
          • The only way to eliminate something people like is to perfectly replace it

            That I can understand, but it's the vegetarians (on moral grounds) I've met who are constantly seeking meat look- and taste-alikes. THAT's what I don't understand.

            It's like someone who hates cigarettes (and the people who smoke them) seeking out chewing gum that tastes like a cigarette.
            • there are all kinds of people. we do things for different reasons.

              i don't eat meat primarily because i don't like how it tastes (i never did) but the conditions that livestock are raised under would be as good a reason for me. i eat some fish a couple times a year 'cause i like it but i'm concerned about overfishing and i've got issues with farm raised (antibiotic filled, local ecosystem destroying) fish.

              i don't like fake meat that tastes like meat. but i love tofu "ribs", covered in delicious sauc
    • The reason is that they are trying to get us omnivores and carnivores to switch.
    • Because you've got to deal with the people who want to put that fake meat into their mouth and not notice that it's faux flesh.

      Most people who drop meat from their diet get so used to eating everything else that they stop checking everything that goes in their mouth scanning for cooked starch or meat.

      It's sad, but your body becomes so accustomed to eating soggy, fatty, starchy, meaty foods that even when you know you should be eating broccoli & tomatoes, you just can't make yourself put down the sausa

  • Maybe more economical. (Score:3, Insightful)

    by vertinox ( 846076 ) on Wednesday July 06, 2005 @03:18PM (#12997272)
    I'm not sure about the economics, but one would think eventually it would be cheaper to grow meat in a vat than raise a few million animals, pay for their feed, clean their waste, and then spend the time and money shipping them off to the slaughter house.

    At least it would take less energy and be more environmental friendly or don't stink up the local area...

    Ever drove by a pig farm? They have a ton by the coast in North Carolina and they don't call em pigs for nothing.
    • I'm not sure about the economics, but one would think eventually it would be cheaper to grow meat in a vat than raise a few million animals, pay for their feed, clean their waste, and then spend the time and money shipping them off to the slaughter house.

      If that were the case, I'd think the first uses of this technology would be in impoverished countries. But somehow I don't think that's going to happen. Cheaper? Maybe in a certain sense, but not the sense that really matters to starving people.


    • It may be more economical, although modern industrial pig-farming is well-known for "using everything but the squeal". Very little of the pig goes to waste, although a good deal of it goes into non-food products.

  • I hereby volunteer ... (Score:3, Funny)

    by Dr. Smeegee ( 41653 ) * on Wednesday July 06, 2005 @03:36PM (#12997475) Homepage Journal
    ... to be the seed plasm for delicious roast haunch of human.

    That way, millions of people across the earth could finally eat my butt for real, instead of my just screaming for them to do it from street corners.
  • I've always said that the one universal application for cloning research is the development of vat-grown meat.

    Cruelty free, vegan-friendly. It could be engineered for the perfect protein, fat and mineral content while maintaining perfect flavor.

    Imagine a sea of perfectly marbled, gristle-free beef filets.... droooool....

  • Schools and prisons (Score:5, Funny)

    by davidwr ( 791652 ) on Wednesday July 06, 2005 @04:03PM (#12997746) Homepage Journal
    If it's cheap, nutritious, and almost tasty expect to see it in public schools.

    If it's cheap, nutritious, and gross, expect to see it in prisons.
  • What is the energy efficiency of growing this artificial meat? The joules required to produce each 100 calories of the mmeat? Vs. the joules required to produce each 100 calories of natural meat, whichever is the "cheapest" meat to produce?
    • I'd be interested to hear this, too. I'm a non-preaching "engineer vegitarian" by way of the reasoning that it's more efficient for me to eat the plants than it is to feed them to an animal who burns off most of the energy maintaining body temperature before it gets to us.

      Anything that improves the efficiency of our food chain is good news. Of course, if this is *more* energy-intensive than just raising a cow, it's silly.
      • I can't see how raising a cow could be more energy efficient than cultivating this tissue. Cows are slaughtered after years of growth, while this mmeat is probably only days or weeks old when ready to eat. And all that "ecosystem", even when tightly controlled on a "factory farm", is very wasteful. I'd like to see numbers comparing each, to see just how many times (thousands or millions, possibly) more people could be fed with this stuff, rather than the natural way.

        Personally, I'm inclined to say that I'd

        • Re:Efficiency? (Score:3, Insightful)

          by raygundan ( 16760 )
          My gut instinct says the same thing, but I'm practical about things and won't call it "fact" until I've seen some numbers.

          Mmmm... beer.
  • What about cloning the stemcells of chicken (or whale, for that matter) that differentiate into muscle? That seems easier, faster, and more reliable. Without putting an animal consciousness into harm's way. Caviar from the endangered beluga sturgeon [caviaremptor.org] should be really easy.

  • Dildos ? (Score:2, Interesting)

    by twilight30 ( 84644 )
    So, how long before some smart-arse comes up with the idea for menless-dildos ?

    Getting them erect might be a problem.

    Christ, I think I've just grossed myself out.

    • Re:Dildos ? (Score:2, Insightful)

      by Anonymous Coward
      Finally, a post that really begs for a "WTF?!" mod to be added.
  • I could have sworn McDonald's already had this technology and has been using it for years now.

    • I heard that Carson told the joke some while ago "McDonalds now says they sold a BILLION hamburgers . . . I guess they are now on their second horse.

      He came back the next day to say "McDonald's is threatening to sue me if I don't take back what I said. OK, McDonald's is NOT on their second horse . . ."

  • I say we do NOT use fake meat to feed the third worlds population. Heres why:

    The idea is to reduce suffering. Right?
    If we cannot eliminate it completely overnight, we have to aim for say fewer people dying of starvation. Right?

    Now in many poor countries, people are like bacteria cultures. Add food, they'll increase in numbers. Reduce food, they'll starve in big numbers= starvation.

    Eventually the population reaches an equiliberium like it is now in Pakistan. People simply cannot afford to have more kids.

    • Now in many poor countries, people are like bacteria cultures. Add food, they'll increase in numbers. Reduce food, they'll starve in big numbers= starvation.

      Do you have the slightest bit of evidence to support what would otherwise look like a fairly nasty bit of xenophobia?

      • A hint: I'm from the poorest asian country.

        So wheres the xenophobia?

        I've personally seen the mindset whereby the person wants to further his genes as much as possible, indeed in rural areas Muslim mullahs preach producing as many 'muslims' as is economically possible (read: food available). You cant blame me for being antimuslim either because I am one.

        Like I said the two ways are education + womens sufferage. In combination that creates families which try to have few children and raise them the best the
    • I'm going to take a stab at this and say that you've just read "Ishmael" by Daniel Quinn.
  • Pohl and Kornbluth 1953

    Really strange image of 'Chicken Little', an enormous everliving vat grown chicken tissue that the radical conservationists hold their meetings inside.

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