Lab-Grown Meat Chunks - It's What's For Dinner

jonerik writes "CNN has this story on a NASA-funded project being conducted at Touro College in New York. In the experiment, segments of muscle are cut from large goldfish and placed in a vat of 'nutrient-rich liquid,' with the fish chunks growing by 16% within a week. It is hoped that future developments will permit astronauts on long-term missions to include fresh meat in their diet without having to bring along actual animals and fish into space. New Scientist is also reporting the story."

Comments

hydroponic meat?

[myc]

would any vegans care to comment on what your views would be on "hydroponic" meat? That is, meat grown from cloned cells and/or DNA, instead of that harvested from live animals. I think that hydroponic meat will be the wave of the future. "Growing" meat using livestock is simply not environmentally cost effective.

Re:hydroponic meat?

[Schlemphfer]

Well, since I publish Vegan.com, that request for comment seems tailor made for me.

You know, I'm not sure there are any ethical considerations to growing "hydroponic" meat. The stuff would not have a brain or the ability to feel pain and fear any more than plants do. It'd be creepy, for sure. But not nearly as creepy as having to kill an animal back here on earth.

The better question is, why would NASA want to create this stuff in the first place? It's obvious that, barring undreamable technology breakthroughs, putting livestock into space is unworkable -- sheesh...it's practically unworkable keeping livestock on earth once the population starts approaching 10 billion ;)

One thing that's also obvious is that space food is gonna suck...no matter if it's vegan or made from synthetic veal calves. There are some superb vegan recipes available now, and I think NASA would be better advised to experiment with some of the great flavors that contemporary vegan cooking can produce. It's not like the 1970s, when plant-based foods were blobs of tasteless brown rice and tofu. I think this NASA meat idea is a holdover from 1950s thinking, when everyone thought meat had to be the center of the meal, for both taste and nutrition.

I'd like to see NASA devote its (too scarce) resources to making plant-based foods taste fantastic in a space environement. It sure beats the thought of microwaved synthetic meat. Spending money developing weird meat substitutes seems like a gross misappropriation of this agency's funds, when better and cheaper food alternatives are available. After all, shouldn't Nasa's money, as much as possible, go to space exploration?

Re:hydroponic meat?

[ocelotbob]

The better question is, why would NASA want to create this stuff in the first place?

Face it, people like meat. To a large portion of the population, it tastes good, and is an easy way to get a large amount of protein.

it's practically unworkable keeping livestock on earth once the population starts approaching 10 billion ;)

I don't think so. You do realize that right now an incredibly large amount of food goes to waste due to a number of sociopolitical reasons. I'd say that a huge amount of hunger is caused by corruption, not livestock.

There are some superb vegan recipes available now, and I think NASA would be better advised to experiment with some of the great flavors that contemporary vegan cooking can produce...I think this NASA meat idea is a holdover from 1950s thinking, when everyone thought meat had to be the center of the meal, for both taste and nutrition.

I partially agree with you here. Most meals for long space trips are going to be plant-based, and justifiably so. Once again, though, most people like meat, and so a low-impact way to create something that will more than likely be an occasional treat will be a great morale booster.

I'd like to see NASA devote its (too scarce) resources to making plant-based foods taste fantastic in a space environement. It sure beats the thought of microwaved synthetic meat. Spending money developing weird meat substitutes seems like a gross misappropriation of this agency's funds, when better and cheaper food alternatives are available. After all, shouldn't Nasa's money, as much as possible, go to space exploration?

The people working for NASA are no fools, they're not putting all their eggs in one basket. Sure this one research lab is working on ways to create meat suitable for space travel, but the lab down the hall is probably working on good tasting vegetable-based meals. It's all a matter of personal preference and taste.

Besides, there are people who do develop allergies to plant-based proteins as well; I think you'd agree that it's a good idea to have a contingency plan in place before any problems develop. This, if anything else, could be a contingency plan if someone were to develop an allergy to the primary protein source - just move them over to a fish-based diet and let the mission continue without many worries about allergic reactions.

Re:hydroponic meat?

[cperciva]

it's practically unworkable keeping livestock on earth once the population starts approaching 10 billion

Once the population reaches 10 billion, we don't have to *keep* livestock any more. It's already there. 10 billion worth, in fact.

Already done!

[seanadams.com]

Amazing device turns grass into meat!!!

Re:First of all...

[Eryq]

It would probably be cheaper and easier to just give those hungry people soybean products, which:

- contain protein (the best thing about meat),
- can be textured/flavored in a number of ways, and
- are a hell of a lot cheaper/easier to produce in large quantities than 'fish muscle in a can'.

But in agreement, I do think it would be a great way to create meat products which are cruelty-free, untainted by BGH (one would hope), and free of bacteria picked up on the killing floors.

Re:The Matrix?

[Tackhead]

> I figure one day there will be a big market for vat-grown filet mignon at one-third the price of the real thing. Of course, it will probably be cost-prohibitive for many years.

I could go for that -- for non-steakeaters, the filet is a prized cut because it's tender. The filet's tenderness is a function of the fact that it's a muscle that doesn't get much use.

Before I commit to a lunch of vat-grown meat, I'd like to know how the hunks of meat develop a grain or texture.

Part of what makes "fish" meat good is the flaking and separation of the rows of flesh created by the intervening bones; likewise, the fibers of muscle that comprise the filet are organized in a grain. Steak are cut across the grain to allow any spices/marinades the maximum ability to penetrate the steak, and so that (after cooking), the chunks you cut off the steak are more easily-processed by the molars.

Cuts of meat cut cross-grain (i.e. steaks) are also perceived as more tender because the grain is parallel to the direction of the motion of your teeth, facilitating the work of your molars. (This also applies to your incisors; if you're hungry enough, skip the fork, and if you're really hungry, skip the cooking.)

I have no idea what kind of structure a large mass vat-grown steak (fish or beef) would develop, but I suspect it wouldn't be too hard to induce the cells to create their own structure by passing electric currents through the chunk as it forms, and/or to use a ceramic rod as a substitute for a bone to provide an initial alignment.

Re:Remember "The Shining"?

[maxpublic]

But me, the American who loves meat of all kinds and isn't planning on going to Mars, *wants* Mr. Astronaut to have nice juicy steaks whenever the fuck he feels like it.

A forced Vegan diet undoubtedly qualifies as 'cruel and unusual punishment', at least to anyone who isn't a blazing PETA fanatic. God knows, I'd probably flip out and eat a fellow astronaut if I didn't have any meat for three freakin' years.

Max

Perfect!

[Grendel Drago]

They basically end up living off of the equivalent of frozen dinners and ramen.

...which is why NASA needs to start launching geeks into space!

Really, we're used to freeze-dried diets, Tang and total isolation from the rest of humanity!

--grendel drago