Lab grown burger, would you eat it, if you could afford it?

becost · 05-08-2013 09:55PM

I can see lab grown burgers being the norm, maybe not in our lifetime but at some stage in the future when the world is a barren wasteland from overpopulation and over industrialization and we'll all live underground like in total recall, with companies like BK and McD's at the forefront of their sale at a time when genuine beef burgers will be an expensive luxury that only posh people can afford. A time when people would crave a good horse meat burger.

Conmaicne Mara · 05-08-2013 09:57PM

AtomicHorror wrote: »

Wouldn't you say that gives you a powerful incentive to dismiss pretty much any argument I have to make

The "morality brigade", those pesky city folk who just don't have your insight into how ok it is to raise and then kill animals, will switch to stem cell meat if it's good enough.

I'd say it gives me a much better insight into what makes proper meat. Earlier in this thread a comment was made "Meat is meat". That couldn't be further from the truth.

Lol. No. The morality brigade come from all walks of life, use terribly emotive language and are constantly outraged to a degree that makes me worry for their bulging little forehead veins. You can try to claim the moral majority by insinuating I was directing my comments towards city folk, as have others tried and failed to twist my words, but anyone with sense can read I never said or meant that. There are many living in rural areas as ignorant to the production process of good food as there are living in urban areas I'm sure.

You may have a dim view of city people yourself but I'm able enough at my age to put forth my own views without assistance, thanks.

Sam Kade · 05-08-2013 09:57PM

Now they should go the whole hog and grow a lab steak 100% beef not a burger that any type of sh1te can be hidden in. That burger had more breadcrumbs and other ingredients than stringy lab meat. If you can fool people into believing horse meat is beef, imagine what these quacks will do with lab meat.

Frank Lee Midere · 05-08-2013 10:00PM

Judgement Day wrote: »

I think it's a great how everybody in the Third World now will now be able to eat burgers, and how this 'thing' has been created for the greater good rather than for some faceless multi-national corporation to make millions. :rolleyes:

Both are possible. Stop trying to hide your anti-scientific ludditism behind bogus concern for the poor. This was a university project so far.

Frank Lee Midere · 05-08-2013 10:05PM

What will probably happen is cheaper meat is lab grown, and Irish grass fed beef is sold to our future Chinese overlords (Whom I welcome as a Great Bunch of Lads).

Both sides happy then?

Johro · 05-08-2013 10:08PM

Frank Lee Midere wrote: »

Both are possible.

But only one will actually happen. Third world hunger would be eradicated already if there were the political will and the financial investment.
Everybody knows business drives policy. It's why we're all in the shit now.

Johro · 05-08-2013 10:10PM

We'll probably all be eating lab meat without knowing it.

Frank Lee Midere · 05-08-2013 10:22PM

Johro wrote: »

But only one will actually happen. Third world hunger would be eradicated already if there were the political will and the financial investment.
Everybody knows business drives policy. It's why we're all in the shit now.

Clearly Africa is not able to produce a food surplus. This can help. It may harm farmers though, but it's up to individual African governments to implement procedures. This will help.

In fact there is no need to allow corporations to patent the method.

Johro · 05-08-2013 10:36PM

Frank Lee Midere wrote: »

Clearly Africa is not able to produce a food surplus. This can help. It may harm farmers though, but it's up to individual African governments to implement procedures. This will help.

In fact there is no need to allow corporations to patent the method.

Maybe so, but they will try. They've already got Asian rice growers having to buy American patented rice seed. I'm just saying that corporations will lobby politicians and they usually win out over common sense. If it was used in the right way, maybe. I just don't have that much faith.

AtomicHorror · 05-08-2013 10:51PM

Conmaicne Mara wrote: »

I'd say it gives me a much better insight into what makes proper meat. Earlier in this thread a comment was made "Meat is meat". That couldn't be further from the truth.

And I wouldn't argue against it. I have a great love of properly-produced fillet steak myself, so I would never be dismissive of the skills and insight of so many that came together to put that steak on my plate. But that fact doesn't act against my assertion that you have an unavoidable bias here. If stem cell meat became popular soon (which I think is not likely), it would threaten your livelihood. You have every reason to claim that stem cell meat can't possibly compete with real meat, and you have a strong incentive to ignore any argument to the contrary.

Conmaicne Mara · 05-08-2013 10:58PM

AtomicHorror wrote: »

And I wouldn't argue against it. I have a great love of properly-produced fillet steak myself, so I would never be dismissive of the skills and insight of so many that came together to put that steak on my plate. But that fact doesn't act against my assertion that you have an unavoidable bias here. If stem cell meat became popular soon (which I think is not likely), it would threaten your livelihood. You have every reason to claim that stem cell meat can't possibly compete with real meat, and you have a strong incentive to ignore any argument to the contrary.

Lol, here we go again.

That's your conjecture. I only said two things about it, I'll never eat it, and it'll never live up to the quality of a properly reared animal. In the latter respect I have zero fear for my livelihood where this stem cell burger is concerned. We have to revisit what I also never said in this thread, I never said it was disgusting, I never said it was unsafe, and above all I never said no one else could or should eat it.

The fact remains, it'll always be a second class product.

AtomicHorror · 05-08-2013 11:13PM

Conmaicne Mara wrote: »

Lol, here we go again.

That's your conjecture. I only said two things about it, I'll never eat it, and it'll never live up to the quality of a properly reared animal. In the latter respect I have zero fear for my livelihood where this stem cell burger is concerned.

It's really not conjecture to suggest that a person who makes a living producing animal meat has an incentive to deny the viability of technology that would compete with animal meat sales. You have the incentive. What is arguable is whether or not you have given in to that incentive. So far you haven't made an argument that would convince me that you're being objective.

Conmaicne Mara wrote: »

We have to revisit what I also never said in this thread, I never said it was disgusting, I never said it was unsafe, and above all I never said no one else could or should eat it.

Aside from the "disgusting" comment (which granted you did not say), I haven't attributed any of the other claims to you. Just stated that they're criteria that the average meat buyer will want to tick off when they decide whether to buy meat made from slaughtered animal versus meat grown in vitro.

Conmaicne Mara wrote: »

The fact remains, it'll always be a second class product.

That's not a fact, it's a hope on your part. It might be so, but I'd suggest (once again) that stem cell meat doesn't need to equal real meat on all fronts for it to dominate the market. The first class product is not always the biggest seller, often the biggest seller isn't even second class.

Conmaicne Mara · 05-08-2013 11:20PM

AtomicHorror wrote: »

It's really not conjecture to suggest that a person who makes a living producing animal meat has an incentive to deny the viability of technology that would compete with animal meat sales. You have the incentive. What is arguable is whether or not you have given in to that incentive. So far you haven't made an argument that would convince me that you're being objective.

Aside from the "disgusting" comment (which granted you did not say), I haven't attributed any of the other claims to you. Just stated that they're criteria that the average meat buyer will want to tick off when they decide whether to buy meat made from slaughtered animal versus meat grown in vitro.

That's not a fact, it's a hope on your part. It might be so, but I'd suggest (once again) that stem cell meat doesn't need to equal real meat on all fronts for it to dominate the market. The first class product is not always the biggest seller, often the biggest seller isn't even second class.

It is fact, read the review of the people who tasted it, sure they didn't even finish the burger, can't have been that appetising. Complex flavours within the meat of properly reared animals won't be matched by lab experiments.

I don't know how many ways I can tell you I feel 0 threat from stem cell burgers

I can't make you believe that so I won't try farther than I have.

AtomicHorror · 05-08-2013 11:31PM

Conmaicne Mara wrote: »

It is fact, read the review of the people who tasted it, sure they didn't even finish the burger, can't have been that appetising. Complex flavours within the meat of properly reared animals won't be matched by lab experiments.

You can't possibly know that any more than I could know the opposite. I think it's unlikely myself, but the technology is very new and the very fact that meat can even be produced in this way is noteworthy.

It's not rational to be so dismissive at this early stage- it's very possible that this technology will develop into a viable challenger to real meat, even if it never actually equals it. As I've said many times (and as you've ignored many times), it doesn't need to equal real meat to dominate the market.

Judgement Day · 05-08-2013 11:35PM

Frank Lee Midere wrote: »

Both are possible. Stop trying to hide your anti-scientific ludditism behind bogus concern for the poor. This was a university project so far.

I'm quite happy to admit to being a luddite when it comes to automatic acceptance of every latest scientific experiment being beneficial. As for my concern for the poor... what the hell gives you the right to make assumptions as to whether it is bogus or otherwise.

Sprog 4 · 05-08-2013 11:46PM

I'd definitely eat lab burgers as opposed to meat from animals. Once the taste and cost are right, they will be superior products. Excellent progress.

rustedtrumpet · 05-08-2013 11:54PM

I'd eat the arse of a lab burger. Love to get bertie ahern in a headlock and convince him to buy me a lab burger.

Frank Lee Midere · 06-08-2013 12:07AM

Judgement Day wrote: »

I'm quite happy to admit to being a luddite when it comes to automatic acceptance of every latest scientific experiment being beneficial. As for my concern for the poor... what the hell gives you the right to make assumptions as to whether it is bogus or otherwise.

I am a guy on the internet challenging your posts. Try not to get too upset. If people are to have meat in poorer countries, this is a way. Opposing unnamed multinational companies who may not be involved is not an argument.

Frank Lee Midere · 06-08-2013 12:09AM

Conmaicne Mara wrote: »

It is fact, read the review of the people who tasted it, sure they didn't even finish the burger, can't have been that appetising. Complex flavours within the meat of properly reared animals won't be matched by lab experiments.

I don't know how many ways I can tell you I feel 0 threat from stem cell burgers I can't make you believe that so I won't try farther than I have.

You might be right. Or you might might be like that stagecouch fleet owner who seeing the first horseless carriage splutter and belch before breaking down in front of him, felt no challenge.

Irish Guitarist · 06-08-2013 12:10AM

I'm a vegetarian and I wouldn't eat it.

Some vegetarian burgers taste close enough to meat for me. For instance Tesco Meat Free burgers taste more like a chip shop burger than the likes of Birds Eye burgers. I suspect they also taste better than this lab burger will.

Prof Post said initial sampling suggests the burger will not taste great, but he expected it to be "good enough".

I imagine it tasting something like one of those barely edible Quorn burgers.

blatantrereg · 06-08-2013 12:13AM

No, just because meat has had no appeal for me since becoming vegetarian.
My perception of fish did not change though. I would eat lab-grown fish.
Maybe I need more DHA.

Judgement Day · 06-08-2013 12:14AM

Frank Lee Midere wrote: »

I am a guy on the internet challenging your posts. Try not to get too upset. If people are to have meat in poorer countries, this is a way. Opposing unnamed multinational companies who may not be involved is not an argument.

Try not to be too ****ing patronizing then.

Sam Kade · 06-08-2013 12:15AM

Irish Guitarist wrote: »

I'm a vegetarian and I wouldn't eat it.

Some vegetarian burgers taste close enough to meat for me. For instance Tesco Meat Free burgers taste more like a chip shop burger than the likes of Birds Eye burgers. I suspect they also taste better than this lab burger will.

I imagine it tasting something like one of those barely edible Quorn burgers.

Why do vegetarians crave meat like alternatives? Are all vegetarians living a lie

Jev/N · 06-08-2013 12:19AM

Conmaicne Mara wrote: »

A quality Irish raised meat animal will never be beaten by anything cooked up in a lab or manufactured in a factory.

That's a ridiculously broad statement and somewhat short-sighted

Sam Kade · 06-08-2013 12:22AM

Jev/N wrote: »

That's a ridiculously broad statement and somewhat short-sighted

It will take many years if ever that they will go from that miserable lab burger today to a cut of prime steak grown in a lab.

TEAT SQUEEZER · 06-08-2013 12:29AM

how far are people willing to go down the road of cheaper food when they would consider a foodstuff of such an unatural origin.. this concept of food production makes GMO look like an insignificance

1ZRed · 06-08-2013 01:04AM

Johro wrote: »

Maybe so, but they will try. They've already got Asian rice growers having to buy American patented rice seed. I'm just saying that corporations will lobby politicians and they usually win out over common sense. If it was used in the right way, maybe. I just don't have that much faith.

They're using patented Golden Rice because there's a massive vitamin A deficiency in China. Growing this rice has saved the eye sight of billions of people.

How is that not being used the right way?

dodderangler · 06-08-2013 01:07AM

Irish Guitarist wrote: »

I'm a vegetarian and I wouldn't eat it.

Some vegetarian burgers taste close enough to meat for me. For instance Tesco Meat Free burgers taste more like a chip shop burger than the likes of Birds Eye burgers.

Tescos were also selling beef burgers that turned out to be horse.
So I doubt any type of burger that tesco sells tastes like what it says on the label.

1ZRed · 06-08-2013 01:08AM

TEAT SQUEEZER wrote: »

how far are people willing to go down the road of cheaper food when they would consider a foodstuff of such an unatural origin.. this concept of food production makes GMO look like an insignificance

I don't understand the fear of this and the unnatural debate at all. This is just growing muscle cells in a lab that you'll eat. There's nothing scary or worrying about it.

I'd sooner take an 'unnatural' burger made using 100% lab meat than carcass scrapings and synthetic fillers that make up the bulk of most cheap burgers you buy today.

johnr1 · 06-08-2013 01:29AM

1ZRed wrote: »

They're using patented Golden Rice because there's a massive vitamin A deficiency in China. Growing this rice has saved the eye sight of billions of people.

How is that not being used the right way?

Please recheck your facts and stop peddling this lie.

Lab grown burger, would you eat it, if you could afford it?

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