Source: The New York Times (2023, June 30). Two California Companies Will Soon Sell Lab-Grown Meat. Retrieved August 6, 2023, from https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/30/us/california-lab-grown-meat.html
The US Agriculture department permits sale of meat cultivated from animal stem cells, which is gaining popularity in California. This process makes artificial meat by multiplying stem cells in bioreactors, which then evolve into nutritional fat, muscle, and tissue. Many bring up positive ideas regarding environmental benefits and animal welfare, but concerns arise about risks with byproducts. The U.S is the second country to approve the sale of cell-based meat, but there is a lot of controversy with people thinking of the meat as “cultivated’ and “synthetic.” Though, this breakthrough can reshape the food industry.
I think that lab-grown meat may provide a solution to the issues with conventional meat production in California. This has the potential to completely alter the way we think about meat production and how it affects our environment. While lab-grown meat is intriguing, there are other disadvantages that need to be considered. It will be interesting to observe how this is received by people and how lab-grown meat production goes as time passes. As we come closer to lab-grown meat becoming a reality in California, it is important to realize the benefits and possible risks of this.
Most people are probably put off by the idea of lab-grown meat as it’s been unheard of until recent years, however, I agree that it may provide solutions to the issues present within the meat industry in California such as environmental benefits as we wouldn’t have to take up so much land for farms and no animals would be harmed in the process of making the meat. Do you think the potential benefits of lab-grown meat outweigh the concerns that some have raised about it?
Thanks for your reply. I think that yes, potential benefits of lab-grown meat, such as reducing the environmental impact of traditional meat production and improving animal welfare, do outweigh the concerns that some have raised. However, people have a right to be concerned, there should be proper testing and regulation before lab-grown products are released.
I think it’s super interesting we’re getting to a point where we can achieve a sort of “ethical meat”. As someone who’s pretty conscious about their meat consumption, I’m really excited to see where this goes. From what I have seen, most synthetic meat is made in expensive/complex labs so I’m curious on the potential byproducts. What are some potential risks involved? Would it be possible to get sick from this type of meat?
HI, thanks for your reply. Lab-grown meat is often cultured in a growth medium that provides nutrients to the cells. Some of this medium may be discarded as waste after the production process, and it needs to be discarded of properly, or it may cause health issues. It may be possible to get sick from this type of meat, but with thorough testing and more research I think this meat should be safe to eat in the near future.