How to grow a burger in the lab.

This could go into so many categories, but hope this is the most appropriate.

Dutch scientists have created meat. Well a sort of slurry which, when mixed with bread, beetroot colour and saffron can be served up in a bun and today it is to tasted/tested in London. How much will it cost? 250,000 euros!

This is of course a prototype,and needs fat to have much taste, something not yet available from the lab. However it could solve the problems of starving peoples.

However one fact I heard regarding this, is that there are 1.4 billion overweight against 1 billion starving peoples. (As I am working on memory the numbers may be a few zeros out! The proportion is what is important. More obese than starving.) Do we not just need to redirect eating habits and production/sales?

Will this the ultimate in factory farming or a savior to all those poor factory farmed animals?

www.bbc.co.uk...

Some other links.

www.thestar.com...
www.bloomberg.com...
www.todayonline.com...

That is just gross - meat made from stem cells of a dead cow.

You won't catch me eating that cr@p.

If people have an issue with GMO crops, then they are really going to love petrie dish cultivated meat

reply to post by markosity1973


With the recent horse meat in beef burgers scandal in mind, would you know?

What is different between food grown in a lab, from that grown naturally?

The proportion of obese v starving is also revealing.

dailycaller.com...

This has been the case for a number years, so what is the response, grow more food to fed those obese people!

The answer to my second question, could it be simply profit! (Poor people tend to be those starving, the rich tend to over purchase/consume, just look at the ratio of food brought against food thrown away.)

Originally posted by markosity1973
That is just gross - meat made from stem cells of a dead cow.

You won't catch me eating that cr@p.

If people have an issue with GMO crops, then they are really going to love petrie dish cultivated meat

When you're a starving impoverished homeless African, and you say that..

then I'll probably think it's worthy to note.

But somehow, at this point in time, I doubt YOU are the intended recipient of cultured food. Perhaps when you're a bazillionaire and want something extra with your fried pig and dead rooster... who knows.

reply to post by dowot


I am off a farm, I know where my meat comes from alright. Believe it or not, the diet of an animal affects the flavour of the meat - i.e. corn fed beef tastes different to grass fed.

I won't judge anyone who wants to try it, but call me old fashioned if you want when I say I prefer natural meat and veg that grew with minimal chemical assistance.

Originally posted by winofiend

When you're a starving impoverished homeless African, and you say that..

then I'll probably think it's worthy to note.

But somehow, at this point in time, I doubt YOU are the intended recipient of cultured food. Perhaps when you're a bazillionaire and want something extra with your fried pig and dead rooster... who knows.

I would and they already do....

HARARE // Zimbabwe has rejected genetically modified maize as food aid for its hungry population after raising health and environmental concerns. About 2.2 million Zimbabweans - almost 16 per cent of the national population - need emergency food aid because low seasonal rains resulted in widespread crop failure, according to the Famine Early Warning Systems Network (Fewsnet), a Washington-based global food security organisation.

Link

And no, I'm not rich either.....

This is only the prototype and needs a lot of improvement to make it marketable commercially. But it's production is very "green" with reduced emissions etc etc over normal meat production.

Maybe traditional meat will revert to being available only to the rich, with this substitute for the "Great unwashed"?

It has to borne in mind that the major chemical companies need oil, as a starting point and as that becomes more expensive, they will need to diversify into other forms of money making. (Fertiliser and weed prevention, to promote grass/crop growth, are based on chemicals?)

I still refer back to that ratio of obese to starving with the ability to waste so much production (30-50%*), and wonder, when the excessive consumers will give back to those who are starving, or is that just man enjoying his superiority over others less fortunate.

* www.imeche.org...

reply to post by dowot


You need to change the Title of this Thread to something like:

"Test Tube Burger Served Up For First Time" and maybe ask a MOD to put this into a Forum where more ATS members go.

Reason: It will gain much more attention.

BTW, i think this is a ridiculous idea and one which is meant for the lower classes.. I can't see the upper classes eating this, especially the Royals!

One other thing.... since when did this become the MOST IMPORTANT THING IN TODAY'S SOCIETY. Its BS! There are MUCH more Important things to be discussing and working on, such as How to stop the Destruction of the World by the Money grabbing Oil Barons or How to keep our Waters safe from Money Grabbing Oil barons or How to keep people warm in Winter without overcharging and How to stop certain people from having so many children.

In the Article I read on Sky News, the Professor said that overpopulation will be increasing meat demand way too much by 2050 but producing Lab Meat isn't going to stop people having 5,6, 7 and sometimes more Children in the 3rd World Country's and even Country's which are considered 1st World are getting overcrowded with those people coming from the 3rd World! Its those who need to stop producing, not Professors producing Lab Meat which isn't going to cull the Population Problem.

news.sky.com...

This reminds me of the Film 'Demolition Man' where those living Underground were eating real Meat from Rats because the ones above ground kicked them out from Society!

May sound disgusting but I think I'd rather eat a Rat Burger!

reply to post by TruthxIsxInxThexMist


A lot of countries which have large sized families, the Philippines springs to mind, tend to have a Roman Catholic religion, so children are a given. (The more believers the more income for the church?)

I appreciate that there are also other reasons for large families, including infant mortality.

Here in the UK, it tends to become an income earner, via child benefit etc.

It is not only the Royals who will not eat this, the upper 10% of earners (!), will also be spared, unless it remains expensive, then it will be a "luxury food".

Originally posted by TruthxIsxInxThexMist
reply to post by dowot

 

You need to change the Title of this Thread to something like:

"Test Tube Burger Served Up For First Time" and maybe ask a MOD to put this into a Forum where more ATS members go.

Reason: It will gain much more attention.

I was going for the inquisitive/intelligent reader.

It is also the title of the article I linked to.

I thought, in my opening post, I invited a MOD to move it, if there was a more suitable forum. so, if any MOD wants to move this to another forum, please do so.

reply to post by dowot


If anything.... this Lab Meat will make them produce even more kids as they will be living longer!

What they need is Free Contraception!

Once they have learned not to have so many kids, then they can have the Lab Meat!

Na, seriously, I'm not cruel, I'm just saying that Lab Meat isn't going to solve Over-Population like the Professor said it would.

reply to post by TruthxIsxInxThexMist


You said "What they need is Free Contraception! "

A Roman Catholic country, tends not to allow contraception, per se.

So blame the Pope for large families?

Machine made meat, could be impregnated with contraceptive drugs?

When you see the vast amounts of land, where nobody is living/farming I guess we have some time before we there is standing room only. China considers itself to be densely populated, you divide the area of land by population and you find that the UK is more densely populated.

reply to post by dowot


TBH I was talking about parts of Africa and parts of the ME which are over producing... too many Muslims TBH.

But lets not turn this into one of those threads!

The point is: Lab Meat isn't going to reduce the Population unless of course like you say 'it has some kind of contraceptive pill in it.'

reply to post by TruthxIsxInxThexMist


See someone has taken up your idea,,and posted.."Test Tube Burger Served Up For First Time"

www.abovetopsecret.com...

Think it makes no difference, nobody is that interested in just what this could mean.

If this method of production became the norm, the end of traditional cattle farming? Introduction of whatever medications you fancied? Total control of price by the industry itself? Dietary control?

The reports of the trial make interesting reading. "Cornwall chef Richard McGeown fried the 5oz burger in sunflower oil and butter in front of an audience in London.

It was then sampled by US author Josh Schonwald and Austrian food scientist Hanni Rutzler.

Hanni said it was “close to meat” but it “lacked juiciness” and she expected a softer texture.

Josh also noted its dryness and added: “The absence is the fat, it has a leanness but the bite feels like a conventional hamburger.”

www.mirror.co.uk...

Note it was cooked in BUTTER, where does butter come from? Cows, the very animal that this synthetic meat is to replace!

What does surprise me, is the lack of UK coverage as against that from the US. Maybe my search engine is a little bias.

Anyway a couple more links.

www.nbcnews.com... (Taste hits the spot?)
www.nytimes.com... (Grown from cow muscle? Really?)
www.expressnews.com... (No animals killed, erm where did the initial muscle/stem cells come from?)
bigstory.ap.org...

Of course this stuff could be put through a 3D printer, to make fancy shaped meat, or even to produce meat looking like meat. (Assuming fat can similarly be grown, which at the moment has not happened.

Looking at some of those links, there is some compelling reasons to continue with this research, which no doubt will open up other synthetic type foodstuffs.

Soylent green anyone?

The burger pattie has been taste tested and the verdict is in;

Their verdict: It's looks like beef, feels like beef but does not quite - yet - taste like beef.

Source

You just can't replicate the taste of an animal that has lived and breathed a normal life in a test tube....

SOYLENT GREEN IS PEOPLE!!!

Originally posted by elmoastro
SOILENT GREEN IS PEOPLE!!!

edit on 6-8-2013 by elmoastro because: (no reason given)

And?

(Soylent, is that not a play on words? Soya?)

It is all a bit disturbing, be it humans ground up or stem cells from other animals ground up. We are, after all, all animals!

reply to post by markosity1973


I agree, but you would say that, coming from a farming background. Perhaps your livelihood is in danger?

There is one link, I posted, where the taste seems to have "Hit the spot" or been good.

Reading those reviews, I can see some adjustments of the reality to make this food more acceptable, do you agree?

Originally posted by dowot

Originally posted by elmoastro
SOILENT GREEN IS PEOPLE!!!

edit on 6-8-2013 by elmoastro because: (no reason given)

And?

(Soylent, is that not a play on words? Soya?)

It is all a bit disturbing, be it humans ground up or stem cells from other animals ground up. We are, after all, all animals!

Relax, it's a movie quote. www.imdb.com...

I have something growing in my fridge.
Its either really old meat or really new cheese.
I'll have to scrape the fur off to see.