Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Mom! I Want a Happy Lab Meal With the Test Tube Toy!

Well...it's been on all the major stations this weekend. A scientist has figured out how to grow strips of muscle tissue in a test tube. Watch here. So, of course, "in vitro" hamburgers aren't far away (think the end of this year). Of course, the consensus is that this "meat" will taste bland, so chemicals will have to be added to improve the palatability. More chemicals. Of course!
Test Tube Hamburger by Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com
http://www.flickr.com/photos/notionscapital/6913717377/
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16 comments:

  1. AnonymousFebruary 21, 2012 at 7:34 PM

    I saw this earlier in the month and at first thought it would be great. Now I am rethinking it because I had not heard the part about the chemicals. Possible the meat could be a replacement for that filler used in so many hamburgs providing for a decrease in chemicals in the food and an increase in the safety of it because little animal based diseases would exists in it.

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  2. JanFebruary 22, 2012 at 3:51 PM

    But it's not an animal!!! I just find this creepy. I'm sticking with my veggies!

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  3. AnonymousFebruary 22, 2012 at 4:19 PM

    I find this very disturbing. How do we know that when we go to buy a hamburger that it is not full of chemicals? I like to know where my meat comes from and what it is. There is nothing saying that the meat packers will have to tell us whether or not it is real meat. SCARY!!

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  4. AnonymousFebruary 22, 2012 at 5:14 PM

    While this tissue isn't meat, I think it could be an interesting background for other forms of science. In particular, I believe that medicine could benefit from this technology in dealing with people who may have muscular dystrophy or similar diseases. While I wouldn't want to eat synthetically grown muscle tissue, how is it any different than having our fruit picked early and manipulated through the use ethylene gas? This system has allowed us to enjoy fruit year-round, but many people don't even know this practice is in existence. Instead of denouncing the system, our economy needs informed consumers.

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    1. JanFebruary 22, 2012 at 6:54 PM

      Good points. I DO think it is different because it's not exactly synthetic meat, it's real synthetic meat! I can't even put it into words. But I agree on the disease issue and on the informed consumers issue. Definitely!

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  5. AnonymousFebruary 22, 2012 at 5:39 PM

    I am so disgusted by this!! I'm disgusted in consumption of it at least, because testing is always good for science. It is scary to think that one day this might be in grocery stores or even not labeled!! Hopefully it never comes to that, especially because it is still in testing, but it is definitely something to think about!

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  6. AnonymousFebruary 22, 2012 at 5:58 PM

    I wonder how the cows feel about this...

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    1. AnonymousMarch 6, 2012 at 6:13 PM

      This comment has been removed by the author.

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    2. AnonymousMarch 6, 2012 at 6:20 PM

      Well an expert on cows myself...They are psyched! I heard a lot of them mooing the other day, and test tube meat was the main subject of their discussion. If I was a cow, which I have been for a day (not fun), I would definitely be pumped for a longer life and free-grazing..not any of that corn stuff any more. Heaven!! That corn stuff just doesn't agree with the taste buds. I prefer grass.

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  7. AnonymousFebruary 22, 2012 at 6:42 PM

    This could be a cleaner alterative to real meat...perhaps even a tastier alternative once scientists have developed the best product.
    However, I seem to have lost my appetite...

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    1. JanFebruary 22, 2012 at 6:55 PM

      It just kind of takes the fun out of eating, doesn't it?! I watched something so upsetting tonight that I'm afraid I will have to be a vegetarian, at least in regards to animal processing I know nothing about...so disturbing.

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    2. AnonymousFebruary 26, 2012 at 6:58 PM

      What did you watch? I don't even know if I want to know...! I experimented with vegetarianism for about 9 months after watching a PETA video.

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    3. AnonymousFebruary 28, 2012 at 2:37 PM

      It was Meet Your Meat, wasn't it? That's the one I saw at least!
      -Alexis

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  8. AnonymousFebruary 22, 2012 at 7:31 PM

    Well, this would save a lot of pain and suffering for the cows wouldn't it? But at the same time I don't know if I would be able to give up eating a big juicy tasty steak every once in a while... This is causing quite some inner turmoil.

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  9. AnonymousFebruary 23, 2012 at 4:53 AM

    These are the times where I am so very glad I haven't touched meat in two years...I mean, choosing between animal exploitation and creepy test-tube processes like this is too daunting a task. But how do y'all feel about this that I found last night?
    http://www.we-make-money-not-art.com/archives/2012/02/farming-the-unconscious.php

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  10. AnonymousMarch 3, 2013 at 4:02 PM

    I really hope we aren't unknowingly eating these "test tube" burgers, knowing the food industry it wont be stated that they are fake burgers.. that's just about as disturbing as having to impregnate chickens and pigs

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