this post was submitted on 25 Dec 2024
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As a thinking experiment, let us consider that on the 1st of January of 2025 it is announced that an advance making possible growing any kind of animal tissue in laboratory conditions as been achieved and that it is possible to scale it in order to achieve industrial grade production level.

There is no limit on which animal tissues can be grown, so, any species is achieveable, only being needed a small cell sample from an animal to start production, and the cultivated tissues are safe for consumption.

There won't be any perceiveable price change to the end consummer, as the growing is a complex and labour intensive process, requiring specialized equipments and personnel.

Would you change to this new diet option?

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[–] [email protected] 1 points 47 minutes ago

Yes and I hope the tech can replace dairy too.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 16 hours ago (1 children)

As long as it scaled to reasonably the same price as current meat, I'd absolutely do it unless there were some significant downsides like it somehow being even worse for the environment.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 16 hours ago

This ^

If it's better for the environment and doesn't involve the industrial scale poor treatment and wanton slaughter of animals, AND it tastes just as good, I'd be on-board instantly. Even with a premium price hike for consistency.

Roll on quality facon, wagu beeef, and octo-chi k en drumsticks.

I do think that flora missed a trick with vegan, fake meats though...

"I can't believe it's not bacon/ burger/ chicken" they would have slaughtered that ad campaign

[–] [email protected] 3 points 16 hours ago (1 children)

I am extremely unkeen on handing control of all food production to large corporations.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 16 hours ago
[–] [email protected] 2 points 16 hours ago

I'd want to try some exotic synthetic meats you can't or shouldn't get anymore like dodo or dolphin. I wouldn't have the stomach to try it but you can bet there'll be some market for synthetic long pig. For normal consumption though I don't eat much meat now so I'd probably just go with whichever if there's no difference in cost or calories.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 14 hours ago

I'd try it.

[–] [email protected] 16 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Reminder that the meat you buy at the grocery store is as also as human modified as it gets and NOTHING like the wild game that our ancestors ate or even the farm animals from 100 years ago. The animal itself is probably GMO, spends its entire life in a steel cage standing in its own shit and piss and is given specialized processed feed to optimize how much meat it produces (or just has a tube down its throat so we don't have to worry about it eating fast enough). Not to mention tons of antibiotics that are given to the animal just to ensure it survives the hell we put them through which definitely makes it into the meat and therefore into you as well. And they're slaughtered and butchered by underpaid overworked factory workers who have to balance fulfilling brutal quotas with carefully extracting the meat and not getting it contaminated with shit from the animal's guts or the myriad other disgusting things around the meat that you wouldn't want to eat (you can guess how well that usually goes).

Animal cells (without the animal itself and also no central nervous system to experience suffering) growing in a clean, well controlled lab in tanks of sterile cell media doesn't sound so bad in comparison.

Additional reminder that nearly all of the worst infectious diseases in history have been caused partially or completely by animal agriculture: the plague, spanish flu, smallpox, whooping cough, swine flu, bird flu, covid, etc. So if you're worried about the long term health implications of lab grown meat, you should be ten times more worried about long term the health implications of regular meat, to the point where you should be worried even if you don't eat meat.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 19 hours ago

It already exists. We need to be pouring subsidies into it. I would absolutely switch, if it was widely available.

Not only is it better for the environment, but it’s also not loaded with antibiotics or been exposed to fecal matter at the farm.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Impossible Burgers already exist and are fucking delicious.

But, sure, if I can have pastrami or corned beef again without requiring a cow experience a life full of torment, emit a cow's lifetime of methane, or have any of that happen where a forest should instead have been left untouched, I'd try it!

[–] [email protected] 4 points 17 hours ago

I had some impossible patty from restaurants and it's actually not bad and fairly close to meat flavor.

The beyond stuff is a hard pass.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 16 hours ago* (last edited 16 hours ago) (1 children)

Is this really up for debate?

Florida bans lab-grown meat, adding to similar efforts in three other states

Much like with the fossil fuel industry squeezing out renewable energies at every opportunity, I suspect we're going to see the powerful agricultural lobbies shut down competitors until the owners of these big businesses can insert themselves as the sole proprietors of the lab meat industry.

On the flip side, retailers are going to want to drive down their costs, so they'll only switch when the price drops below the current floor set by firms like Tycoon and Cargill. But once it does... you'll be foolish to assume what you're eating isn't lab grown if it means a business increasing its profits.

Despite these potential benefits, Haracz believes that the high cost of lab-grown meat products will remain an obstacle for McDonald's and other fast food establishments. He mentions the deals that the restaurant gets when it purchases beef and surmises that these great prices will not be available with lab-grown beef. Haracz also cites pressure from the beef industry, which will likely use its influence to dissuade McDonald's and other establishments from using meat that comes from non-traditional sources.

The end result will be people who want lab meat finding themselves prohibited from buying it and people who don't want lab meat unwittingly consuming it.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 14 hours ago (1 children)

There exists a world outside corpo US. Like europe which has better competition in every way. Even ads are better here than in the US.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 14 hours ago (1 children)

europe which has better competition in every way

M&A is coming for Europe in a big way as the neoliberal policies of the states seep in through all the cracks. 2025 is gearing up to be a big year for Euro bank consolidation. We've already seen a lot of the industrial sector hollowed out of the Southern EU states and consolidated in Germany. Crackups like what happened in Yugoslavia in the 90s and border wars like what we're seeing with Ukraine/Russia have also immolated domestic industry in a way we haven't seen since the Years of Lead.

Even ads are better here than in the US.

We'll see how long that lasts. If the UK is a bellweather, it looks like the Elon-ification of your economy is just a matter of time.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 12 hours ago

European sad agreeing noises

[–] [email protected] 1 points 17 hours ago

Well price would probbly drop if the large scale production method using factory machines arrives. A laboratory synthesis will be scaled if people would buy

[–] [email protected] 2 points 20 hours ago

1st of January of 2025 it is announced that an advance making possible growing any kind of animal tissue in laboratory conditions

Let me tell ya.

https://youtu.be/EJG3t5Omteg

[–] [email protected] 2 points 20 hours ago* (last edited 20 hours ago)

Which protein? Sonic hedgehog? Tell genetic engieneers what protein you want, and they will make yeast make that protein. Or ecoli. Or rice. Or tomato. Or anything else.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 day ago (2 children)

If it was healthy, affordable, and tasty, then yes.

If it isn't all three, then Veganism can continue to go fuck itself.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 21 hours ago (2 children)

You are not limited to meat and lab-created meat, you know? Vegetarians can tell you to eat eggs and cheese if you want. Vegans will tell you that there are large varieties of plant-based proteins, amongst: lentils, soy, whole cereals, even green vegetables. While these tend to not be as complete nor bio-available as meat or eggs, if you combine them you can have various, delicious and protein-rich meals. I am personally working out a lot and my mostly vegan diet (some eggs and cheese from time to time) is enough for my protein needs.

I mean, if your goal is to keep the meat experience, then yeah, I get your point. But other than that....

[–] [email protected] 2 points 18 hours ago (1 children)

I mean, if your goal is to keep the meat experience, then yeah, I get your point.

I think that was indeed very obviously the point. The point of both the comment you were replying to and this lab grown meat idea as a whole.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 18 hours ago

I'm not really good with obvious subtexts, I'm sorry ^^

[–] [email protected] -1 points 16 hours ago (1 children)

Because Veganism is yet another new age fad diet based in pseudoscience and I will have no part in it. It's just Einstein Pain Wave nonsense.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 13 hours ago (1 children)

People showing empathy towards animals and their living condition isn't exactly what I would label pseudoscience. It has nothing to do with science to begin with

[–] [email protected] 1 points 13 hours ago

Yes, but you can't actually survive on a Vegan diet.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Cutting down on eating meat is as good as going vegan

Villianising anyone and everyone who even so much as touches a chicken breast is a damn blunder and totally puts me off against the community

Then again, most vegans that are decent wouldn't be pushy and tell people they're vegan

[–] [email protected] -2 points 16 hours ago (1 children)

Why would I ever cut down on meat though? It's filling, delicious, and the reason why humans evolved intelligence in the first place.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 10 hours ago (1 children)

Because humans found similar delicious alternatives?

I mean, it's your choice and Europe and America heavily depend on a meat based diet with the exception of bread

[–] [email protected] 1 points 7 hours ago* (last edited 7 hours ago)

Impossible! eats a handful of popcorn and some curly fries

No joke that is what I had for dinner tonight, I'm trying to cutback on finances.

It's not a flex or anything, I just find it ironic that I'm eating corn and potatoes for dinner the same day I lecture people on the internet about Veganism being bad, and I need someone to note the melancholy I'm experiencing.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I've been vegan for almost 25 years, and vegetarian for couple years before that... and I'd be happy it existed, but I wouldn't eat it. I don't miss meat, and the idea of eating any of it just grosses me out.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 20 hours ago (1 children)

Same, I get why beyond meat exists but I can't touch the stuff myself and it sucks when that's the only option available

[–] [email protected] 2 points 18 hours ago

I actually like Beyond/Impossible lol. I guess for me it's about knowing that it's made out of vegetables.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 day ago

If I could afford it yeah of course

[–] [email protected] 11 points 1 day ago

hell yeah. soon as its not way more expensive than normal meat, i'm down. your proposed technology also sounds like it should mean lab grown replacement organs with zero chance of rejection, which would be amazing.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 day ago

I’d rather go vegan. Falafel all the way.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

I'd try it if the price came down. Fake meat is in the store now but I still eat the real thing. Maybe the current stuff isn't what OP is talking about.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 1 day ago (3 children)

Yes, absolutely. No risk of virus or bacteria, or worse...

Grown to the size you want...

Of the shape and type you want...

No fat (maybe?)....

What's not to like.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 day ago (1 children)

What kinda idiot would want no fat?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 19 hours ago (1 children)

The kind that wants realllllly consistent beef jerky.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 15 hours ago

Constipation-jerky

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[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

You haven't mentioned if there are any ethical concerns with this new meat; e.g. environmental cost of the production process, what kind of human labour is required to create it, who is providing that labour and under what conditions are they working.

Provided I had no ethical concerns with it, sure, but a lot of modern innovations tend to have these issues and I assume lab-grown meat would have these issues too.

Edit: Also, I'm opposed to animal captivity, so if there's an ongoing need to collect samples from captive livestock then no, I wouldn't. If it's a "collect it once then it keeps reproducing from the lab samples forever" type of thing then sure.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Jesus, people bitch about processed foods but have no issues with whatever shit has to be put into this to make it grow?

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 day ago

Most that bitch about processed foods have no idea what "processed" actually means.

Most of the 'chemicals' they're worried about occur naturally at quantity in plants and fruit.

The lab-grown meat uses the same organics that happen in the animal to trigger growth.

That said, price-wise, real meat will have to become very very expensive before lab-grown meat will be competitive. Breeding cattle is expensive, but a lot of it is just making sure life happens. Cows are hearty, self feed and have immune systems.

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