Artificial Meat

[JulesB]

Scientists have developed a way to produce artificial meat Link to news item

 

One of the scientists has said if the taste and the cost are right, people will eventually accept it.

 

I don't like the sound of it at all, but that's probably hypocritical as I'm a meat eater (on a small scale). I would imagine in marketing terms it *might* appeal to vegetarians, but will it convert meat eaters away from real meat?

 

So would you eat it?

[Trallwm farm]

Yes I would.

 

Dibs wouldnt because........................................... Somthing about hating soya pretend food.......?

 

She eats Facon and a Tescos pretend chicken roast though.

[Trallwm farm]

Hm just read it and not quite so sure now. I thought it was pretend.

But on the other hand its got to be better than mechanically reclaimed meat

[cycas]

I don't like the idea suggested by the article that there are so many human beings and we are such a hugely important species that every possible resource must be devoted to feeding us in the most efficient way possible : it's a sad world where there is no room for cows or sheep! And I don't think that the role of cows and sheep is just about being eaten either, grazing is important for landscape management in a lot of places...

 

It also seems a worrying step to move further towards very high technology food production : we are already in a situation where a small interruption in food supplies for even a few days can cause real problems. Can you imagine what a world with 10 billion people on it (estimated world population by 2050) , all of them eating food made in vast underground factories, would be like if there was a plague or a war or a meteor strike that interrupted supplies for a few years? Nightmare!

 

That said, on a personal level, I'd much rather eat this stuff than factory farmed pork or chicken, and I'd definitely rather buy it for my own carnivores. It's so hard to find good quality cat food that doesn't involve hideous cruelty in the production process!

[Jazz]

but have you seen, £2,000 for one sausage

[murtle]

No, although I am a veggie I prefer *real* things. I prefer sugar to sweetener etc and would rather people ate less meat overall but of the real stuff than mass production or indeed false production.

[blackmagic]

I am a meat eater but I too want to eat the real thing and if I couldn't have real meat then I would do without.

[celeste]

I was going to say yes, but Cycas's post has made me unsure .

 

I do eat meat as long as it's free range as I care about farm animal welfare, however the slaughtering process could be improved upon, for instance the re-opening of local slaughter houses so animals didn't have to travel so far and an end to the "piece-meal" pay system which can result in slaughter men not taking as much care as they could be. I imagine though that even if plasti-meat takes off there will still be small specialist farmers producing ethically reared animals for the luxury market.