I'm definitely worried that no one knows what weird diseases this could cause years from now, and if any research pointing to cancer or other problems has been kept secret (like it's been done before in so many cases).
For sure, intensive farming is bad for everybody (besides the farmers, perhaps), and anything that will reduce it is good news IMHO.
As for how I'd feel eating lab meat, we only eat meat because most of us haven't seen how animals are kept, what they're fed, and how they're slaughtered (I have at my dad's organic pig farm and it's nothing pretty--and I can't imagine how intensive production looks). So, I guess meat coming from a lab is just as gross/weird as the above, I would probably try it and even get used to it.
I'm sure vegetarians will love it--or at least the ones that do it for the animals--as they'll finally be able to eat meat, which is unarguably personal preference but IMHO about 100 times better-tasting than imitation meat (like those burgers you buy at the grocery store).
I suspect if it's cheaper I'll get it served at some fast food restaurant, so I'll have a chance to try it.
I'm a meat eater but in my experience vegetarian or vegan good that merely tries to imitate meat dishes always sucks, but cuisine built around the ingredients available can be amazing. For example, i think south Indian vegetarian food is good enough that if I had it every day I wouldn't mind not eating meat.
If you use enough "umami bombs" in cooking then you can make very savory veg* dishes. My faves are soy sauce and yeast extract and I'm also not above using MSG.
Tbh I think meat is an addiction. Even if veg meals satisfy me and meet my caloric needs I still crave it!
> My faves are soy sauce and yeast extract and I'm also not above using MSG
If you're putting yeast extract in, you are absolutely not above using MSG, as that's pretty much what makes yeast extract so tasty (and used in many processed foods so they don't have to say that they added MSG to their product).
As an aside - I bought a big ole bag of MSG a while back, and it's great to toss into sautéed vegetables.
If your only understanding of imitation meat is "those burgers you buy at the grocery store," then my point is that there is a whole world of imitation meat you haven't experienced. I think you're pre-maturely judging a whole genre of food.
we only eat meat because most of us haven't seen how animals are kept, what they're fed, and how they're slaughtered
This is often said, but I doubt it very much. I think it should be shown to everyone (including in school), and it would probably lead to some positive changes, but I doubt it would significantly reduce the number of meat eaters. We can look at the people working in the industry: are they all morally deficient or desperate for work? Not as far as I know.
>>> As for how I'd feel eating lab meat, we only eat meat because most of us haven't seen how animals are kept, what they're fed, and how they're slaughtered ...
Children in the developed world might not know but you only have to go as far as their grands parents to find out. They typically had a farm and had to kill the animals themselves.
I'm definitely worried that no one knows what weird diseases this could cause years from now, and if any research pointing to cancer or other problems has been kept secret (like it's been done before in so many cases).
For sure, intensive farming is bad for everybody (besides the farmers, perhaps), and anything that will reduce it is good news IMHO.
As for how I'd feel eating lab meat, we only eat meat because most of us haven't seen how animals are kept, what they're fed, and how they're slaughtered (I have at my dad's organic pig farm and it's nothing pretty--and I can't imagine how intensive production looks). So, I guess meat coming from a lab is just as gross/weird as the above, I would probably try it and even get used to it.
I'm sure vegetarians will love it--or at least the ones that do it for the animals--as they'll finally be able to eat meat, which is unarguably personal preference but IMHO about 100 times better-tasting than imitation meat (like those burgers you buy at the grocery store).
I suspect if it's cheaper I'll get it served at some fast food restaurant, so I'll have a chance to try it.