Right out of the gate, I am going to admit, our family doesn’t eat as much meat as the average American household, but after reading an article on treehugger.com about cultured beef instead of farm raised beef, I’ve decided it’s time to sell everything, move to a farm and get a cow.
According to the article, scientists are studying ways to make beef in a lab. Currently, the experiment is costing a big bucks, but the researchers hope that the benefit {I assume the environmental benefit} will outweigh the cost. Here’s the deal: I think this is weird. This is messing with our food system in a way that is really pretty disturbing to me. That’s not to say that I am not all for reducing our environmental impact, but I would much, much rather forego my car and hoof it {no pun intended} around town in order to keep food in its most natural state.
The process of cultivating beef in a lab is apparently coined as cultured beef, whereas regular everyday farm grown cows are called livestock beef. So, where do you stand? Would you be willing to try cultured beef or are you going to remain on “team livestock?”
~Mavis
Jonnie says
Organic , grass fed beef only, or no beef at all.
Carla says
It seems like when we start messing around with nature bad things happen such as GMO. We need to learn when to back off.
Julie says
I agree with you: this is weird.
Becky Simpson says
No thank you. I agree with you 100% Mavis!
Archer says
No way will myself or my family eat ‘cultured’ meat.
TrayceeBee says
There is NO WAY I would EVER eat meat grown in a lab! My family has lessened our meat consumption as well. Now we try to only buy meat from local smaller farms where the animals are treated well during their lives (we have coined this type of meat “happy meat”). You would think these scientists would have realized by now that tampering with the food system is NOT helping! SMH
Jennifer E says
Team livestock all the way. We get our beef from a family friend that runs cattle. It’s far superior to anything in a market. I would love to raise them myself. Unfortunately it would be frowned upon in the semi-urban area where we live.
Kari says
BLECH! No thanks! I will continue to buy the happy animals from the fair or local small farmers. We don’t eat a huge amount of meat, anyway.
Caroline says
We’ll continue to buy grass fed beef. I will not be buying cultured meat or supporting that initiative in any cognizant way. If it comes down to it, we’ll start raising our own beef on our own land. Wish they’d stop wasting research money on food that will not be well received by the masses. Anyone remember pink slime’s popularity once that story broke?
Rosaleen says
Oh, I might be interested in cultured beef…if I lived in outer space!
Amanda says
Blehhh! I’ll stick to the cattle in my back yard. Although there would be less flies in my house and not near as much crap being drug into my yard by the dogs if the beef was cultured in a lab. 🙂
marie says
NO WAY! We don’t eat “farm raised” salmon. so there is no way we’d eat cultured beef. I want the real thing.
Teckla says
Shades of Star Trek! Press a button or give a command and anything you want to eat or drink magically appears!
Thanks, but no thanks! I don’t eat much meat, especially beef, but I DO NOT like what is being done to our food these days. Since I can’t garden, I’m going to try to buy more organically. A bit of a challenge in my area for meats, and especially for the smaller quantities I’d be wanting.
Actually, I have a balcony that faces east in my new apartment, so I will make an effort to do some container gardening. I also have bedroom windows with wide ledges that face west and get lots of afternoon sun. Another opportunity for containers. Creativity rules!
Terri S. says
I think I just threw up a little bit in my mouth!
Kathleen says
Majority people today don’t equate that bovine on the split hoof as becoming their favorite steak, chuck roast, or hamburger. The majority of people don’t know where their food comes from, nor do they care. Frankly, what the majority of people put into their mouths isn’t even food. Go to the local Walmart and grocery store and just look at the contents of the shopping carts. It’s all in boxes, cans, and plastic bags. It doesn’t rot, mold, or spoil, sometimes for years.
I won’t touch the “cultured beef”, but I doubt most Americans will blink. Sigh.
Delorise says
More artificial or chemical stuff–playing with (against) nature. I think there is a strong connection between all this “unreal” food and the rise in obesity and sick people in this country. No way do I plan to touch this stuff.
Tracie H says
Absolutely not. We are team livestock all the way.
Kristina says
Beef that never died for me? Sign me up. But seriously, people are so afraid of anything “science-y”. I think stuff gets dismissed out of hand because a lot of people have a very poor general understanding of science and technology. Maybe this is a good idea, and maybe it’s not, but we’ll never know if we never consider the science intelligently and dispassionately. Who knows? This could be the most humane beef ever.
Betty D says
No way. i find it harder to trust the govt/FDA….etc any more….I remember several yrs ago hearing on the radio…that they were testing rice with human dna…..now why in the world do we need human dna in rice. to me it made no sense at all. I really think sometimes if we really knew what was put in some of our foods from the market…we wouldnt be eaten at all …and grow our own. I did hear that there was a rice out they called Golden Rice. The purpose in china for this rice was that many of the children thee were going blind for like of certain vitamin so this vitamin was put in the Golden rice…but for us…there are so many ways to get the vitamins we need from the foods we eat/grow/etc…..With all this going on…I dont like the idea of humans being tested without there knowledge.
Rachel says
It sounds really gross to me. I used to feel bad about eating beef, and while I still don’t eat much of it I feel a little better after watching a TED Talk by Allan Savory who is a South African ecologist who studies land management. His studies showed that grass fed cattle fight desertification, so they are actually good for the planet. It’s controversial, but it’s pretty interesting if you get a chance!
Marie says
i am team livestock all the way as well. I heard on the news yesterday that science is making kelp that tastes like bacon, so cultured beef doesnt seem as far out there!
Lana says
Apparently they say they can grow the muscle which is the meat, not like they are growing an entire cow in a lab, still it is creepy. I am all for sparing animals the pain of being slaughtered for meat, even on the nicest of farms, and I have been trying to cut down on meat poultry and fish consumption. This would certainly expedite me right into becoming a full-fledged vegetarian.
Jen Y says
How does cultured beef save the environment?
Lilypad says
Jen Y, the environmental impact that livestock of all kinds has on the planet is horrifying. Here’s an article about it: http://www.farmsanctuary.org/learn/factory-farming/factory-farming-and-the-environment/
Some people think that somehow creating beef (or other meats) without actually having the livestock around will help. I take the opposite approach: I have been a vegetarian for 10 years. That is what I believe is best for both the planet and all the creatures on it.