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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