About Test-Tube Meat


Many vegetarians make their decision not to eat meat based solely on ethics rather than any disdain for the flavour. The growing of meat in laboratories would certainly alleviate these concerns, but the benefits extend beyond morals. The keeping of animals for meat is an enormous strain on the environment, and with the global population skyrocketing, the demand continues to grow. According to a report published by Stanford University, livestock production occupies more than one-fourth of Earth’s land, and contributes to 18 percent of greenhouse gas emissions attacking the atmosphere. Recent experiments using stem cells from pigs and cows, cultured in a nutrient-rich bath that allows them to grow, have shown much promise.


The burger program is headed up by Dr. Mark Post at Maastricht University in the Netherlands. He has cultivated beef in a laboratory, using thousands of strands and layers stacked together to form a five-ounce burger. Post uses Velcro to flex and “exercise” each strand of muscle to prevent it from wasting away. Although the meat doesn’t contain any fat (which gives beef much of its flavour), Post claims that it “tastes reasonably good.” On August 5, 2013, Dr. Post plans on serving up the results of his experiment to attendees at a London event. For a mere US$325,000, you too can taste history in the making. Of course, the implications of this technology far exceed usage in food. One day, it might soon be possible to grow healthy organs or even replacement limbs in laboratories. However, perfecting this technology is sure to be an uphill climb; as with the use of human stem cells, a great deal of fundamentalists will surely call foul in “playing God.”

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