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Thread: Would you eat lab-grown meat?

  1. #1
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    Would you eat lab-grown meat?

    http://www.npr.org/templates/story/s...oryId=90235492

    Scientists are in the process of attempting to grow animal tissue and protein in laboratories. If they are successful, this would mean that it would be possible to produce "meat" (animal flesh) without killing animals. The lab-grown meat would not have a central nervous system and would feel no pain.

    PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) are offering a $1 million reward to the first company who can bring lab-grown chicken meat to consumers by 2012.

    As Hindu vegetarians, would you eat this "in vitro meat", since no animals have to be killed to produce it? Would you eat lab-grown beef? I am unsure of where I stand on this issue and would like to see what others feel about it.

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    Re: Would you eat lab-grown meat?

    Vannakkam Scott:

    I wouldn't because I don't like the taste of meat. I vomited the last tofu hot dog I ate 25 years ago. But like you, I would have to meditate on the ethics of it all, and read more about the exact methods of production. I'm pretty much a whole grain, organic when possible type. Any fake meat seems just odd to me, but I do understand its place in the transition from carnivore to herbivore diet. The whole idea sounds kind of gross to me.

    Aum Namasivaya

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    Re: Would you eat lab-grown meat?

    Personally, I would not eat it, I am a grossed out by the idea of eating meat.

    This development may be a good thing for many other people though. Realistically, the entire population is never going to be vegetarian. There is nothing wrong with that, even the manu smriti says, na mansa bhakshane dosha, eating meat is not a sin. There are different needs for different people. Maybe this development will be helpful to reduce the size of the bio industry.

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    Re: Would you eat lab-grown meat?

    I have made a vow to Brahma to never eat meat. Where the meat comes from is not important and would not change my vow. Who wants to eat a carcass anyways, lab grown or not?

    I'm one of the vegetarian hardliners on this forum and still think time would be better spent growing better veggies that can be used for dinner as well as prasad.
    May the Supreme Spirit illumine us!

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    Re: Would you eat lab-grown meat?

    namaste Scott,

    Quote Originally Posted by ScottMalaysia View Post
    As Hindu vegetarians, would you eat this "in vitro meat", since no animals have to be killed to produce it? Would you eat lab-grown beef?
    For me, no I would not eat the lab grown meat. Though I eat 'veggie' burgers and veggie hot dogs in the summer made of tofu etc.
    satay

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    Re: Would you eat lab-grown meat?

    The first thing I thought was that it wouldn't be a sattvic food.

    I'm quite sure it wouldn't be a food worth offering as prasad.

    Meat is quite heavy for anyone who stopped eating meat a long time ago as well. Even tiny pieces of meat that I ate accidentaly over these years made me feel sick. So I'm sure it's a food that doesn't benefit our body, not to mention our minds.

    Another issue would be: Would animals be harmed in order for this lab-grown meat to be developed? If yes... Another point for me not to support it.

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    Re: Would you eat lab-grown meat?

    Vannakkam:

    Besides the obvious reasons, (ahimsa, taste) I really wonder how many strange chemicals (hormones, etc., would have to be added to make this stuff artificially. Muscle growth in any animal is a fairly complicated organic (as in organic chemistry, not in organic food) process. if I had to eat meat, I'd at least want something natural. But perhaps there could be some kind of strange good side regarding pollution of the environment and the use of natural resources. Somehow I doubt it though.

    Aum Namasivaya

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    Re: Would you eat lab-grown meat?

    Interesting question.

    Ethically/religiously speaking I'd have no problem with it. But personally I wouldn't, since I find the idea of eating animal flesh to be distasteful. But as I said, strictly speaking I can't see that this violates ahimsa.

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    Re: Would you eat lab-grown meat?

    I agree with the other commenters that lab-grown flesh would neither be sattvic nor offering-worthy, and probably artificial enough to resemble a meat Twinkie in its construction! Yuck...

    I don't think its goal of providing a more humane meat substitute would necessarily work. It's been my experience with non-veg folks that even the people who will happily gobble up Taco Bell five days a week, suddenly become discriminating gourmands when told they're about to consume a soy or gluten meat substitute: the dish must be perfect in flavour, texture, and sensory delight before judged even a grudging success. I've also heard complaints from friends about how costly meat substitutes and pre-prepared vegetarian dishes can be, how difficult it is to deal with tofu, etc. There's a mental resistance to "fake meat" with some people that can be difficult to overcome; people may ignore familiar foods and eat without attention, but when introduced to something new will usually evaluate it carefully.

    That means this product would have to be virtually identical to animal flesh in all particulars, and also a) cheaper or similar in price, and b) as easy, or easier, to prepare. Given all of the lab work involved in its production, I can't imagine how such a product could be sold inexpensively. (And the folks who care enough about animal welfare and non-violence to buy it regardless of cost, are often vegetarian anyway.)

    For some people, too, long-held habits are easier to change permanently if the appetite for them isn't continually whetted by substitutes (like low-cal or baked chips or cakes, non-alcoholic beer/wine, herbal cigarettes, etc.). Staying vegetarian is easier because I have a disinterest in eating meat; I imagine that would be more difficult if I started eating 'lab-grown' stuff, made plans to cook a certain dish one night, went to the grocery to find they were out of the fake, thought, 'oh, just this once...'

    Whether the substance would violate ahimsa, I'm not entirely sure - I don't think it would, in and of itself, but I do think it keeps alive an appetite for the products of violence. A diet heavy in animal flesh is part of wretched things ranging from world hunger to animal suffering to colon cancer, and yet continues to have such a hold over the psyche and national image in the West. That speaks to me of an odd sort of addiction, one that's best not fed with lukewarm substitutes but shoved out the door completely...and surely the scientific resources and funds tied up in the development of this stuff could be better used elsewhere?

    Just one ignorant's opinion...
    "What was, what is, what will be: I am That." -from Bāṣkalamantra Upaniṣad

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    Re: Would you eat lab-grown meat?

    I find myself wondering about the economic effects of viable artificial meat. While many on here hate the meat industry (with valid reason), one still has to consider the implications of its demise and the sheer number of jobs that could be lost if the meat industry were so massively changed by the creation of artificial meat.

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