I’ve reported on on in-vitro meat before, and now it seems that dream of death-less meat is closer than ever. According to the Times of India, this lab meat could even be ready in a year. Yeah, that’s pretty soon. Apparently the key is stem cells.

And no small number of stem cells. It seems that it will take 10,000 of these glory cells to produce a hamburger. The team producing this burger comes from Maastricht University in the Netherlands and I think working towards a burger is a good step. First off, burgers are delicious. Secondly, a burger just seems easier. If the beef isn’t grown perfectly, odds are any weirdness in texture probably goes the way of the dodo when the fake meat will be ground up.

Yes, it seems the burger would be the perfect gateway in-vitro meat. The key is that it has to taste right, though. I’m all about doing away with the slaughter of animals, but only if my burger tastes like a real burger and gives me the vitamins only real meat can give.

(via Times of India)

This has been a big week in the world of meat-eating. Scientists in Holland or the Netherlands or whatever you call it have grown the first piece of in-vitro meat. In layman’s terms, they grew meat in a lab without killing any animals.

Although the meat wasn’t anything worth putting on a plate, it is the crucial first step in getting PETA to shut the hell up. If they can really make in-vitro meat taste like real meat, the world could soon see an end to real farms.

Since many people are curious about the unvegan take on this development, I would like to say right here that I am in favor of in-vitro meat, but there are some issues that must be worked out. First off, it has to taste like real meat. And I don’t just mean it should be ground up to make a burger. It has to run the whole gamut of meat eatery, from fancy steaks like Kobe Beef to the common chicken breast. Unless in-vitro meats can deliver on this level, they are wasting their time. Also, the meat has to be just as cost-effective as current meats from dead animals. If these two stipulations of mine are seen to fruition, I only fear for the poor farmer, who will have to find a new way to make money.

It will definitely be interesting to see what happens with in-vitro meat. It could mean a bright new slaughter-free world or it could lead to a market flooded with bland, tasteless meat created in a lab. Hopefully it will go in the direction I have outlined and give a whole new meaning to the ethical eatment of animals.

(via Times Online)