Test-tube meat: A solution to meat problems or ticking meat time-bomb waiting to explode?
Scientists have done a lot of work to solve food problems. The invention of disease resistant crops for example has resulted in more food being produced at a lower cost than normal, thereby reducing the risk of hunger and starvation faced by the world population. The development of test tube meat by Japanese scientists recently shows that scientists are not giving up their quest to satisfy human demands for food. Following this development should we be happy that the problem of meat scarcity will soon be over or alarmed and worried over this new invention?
Producing meat in the laboratories will free up lands for growing food. Millions of acres of land are used annually by farmers around the world to grow pastures for animals. If these lands are no longer used for growing animal feed, crops can be grown on them. This will help to meet the ever increasing demand of food by increasing world population and reduce the risk of hunger and starvation around the world.
Synthesizing meat in the laboratories may also help to reduce global warming. Many countries cannot produce enough meat for its population. Meat retailers in these countries often source meat from meat producers in other countries to meet the meat demands. Unfortunately the only way that these retailers can transport the meat from one country to another is by air. This has the tendency to increase the amount of air population and global warming. However, synthesising meat locally in the laboratories will eliminate the use of planes for transporting meat from one country to another and reduce air pollution and global warming.
A further benefit of producing meat in the laboratories is the reduction in the retail price of meat products. Like most of the products manufactured in the laboratories, meat can be produced on a large scale at a low cost in the laboratory. Synthesizing meat in the laboratory will make it to cease to be an item of luxury affordable only to the rich but also will make meat to be a cheap commodity affordable to the poor in society.
While these might sound very good, there are a number of unintended consequences for producing meat in the laboratories. A lot of people who are employed in animal farming, for example, may lose their jobs as the demand for expensive animal products will decrease by increased demand for low cost synthesized meat. Veterinarians working in the animal industry also may lose their jobs as animal farming will cease to exist. For some of these people who may not have other skills besides those associated with farming, surviving after farming will be unimaginable and impossible for them.
The health safety of meat produced in the laboratories is also a source of concern for every person that eats meat. The recently synthesized meat by Japanese scientists was done by producing meat from proteins found in human excrement. The process first involved isolating bacteria from various elements of food including protein, carbohydrates and fat. The food element is then extracted and recombined to form the meat product. Whilst food health safety experts such as Professor Douglas Powell from Kansas University in the United States have said that such meat produced from human excrement is safe for consumption, questions still remain about the health hazards associated with synthesized meat.
What will happen if synthesized bacteria in synthesized meat mutate and result in super bugs such as MRSA? Can eating synthesized meat flavoured with soy protein and coloured with food colouring increase the consumer risks for cancer? Already some of the food additives such as inorganic phosphates and colouring E128 found in food such as processed meat have been found to be carcinogens and increase the risk of lung cancer in consumers.
Definitely there are a number of benefits and risks of test tube meat. For the fact that the production of such meat is at its infancy stage it is difficult to assess the impact of these risks and benefits on consumers. That notwithstanding, it will be important for food regulatory authorities to ensure that a lot of safety mechanisms are in place before allowing test tube meat into the food chain.
Producing meat in the laboratories will free up lands for growing food. Millions of acres of land are used annually by farmers around the world to grow pastures for animals. If these lands are no longer used for growing animal feed, crops can be grown on them. This will help to meet the ever increasing demand of food by increasing world population and reduce the risk of hunger and starvation around the world.
Synthesizing meat in the laboratories may also help to reduce global warming. Many countries cannot produce enough meat for its population. Meat retailers in these countries often source meat from meat producers in other countries to meet the meat demands. Unfortunately the only way that these retailers can transport the meat from one country to another is by air. This has the tendency to increase the amount of air population and global warming. However, synthesising meat locally in the laboratories will eliminate the use of planes for transporting meat from one country to another and reduce air pollution and global warming.
A further benefit of producing meat in the laboratories is the reduction in the retail price of meat products. Like most of the products manufactured in the laboratories, meat can be produced on a large scale at a low cost in the laboratory. Synthesizing meat in the laboratory will make it to cease to be an item of luxury affordable only to the rich but also will make meat to be a cheap commodity affordable to the poor in society.
While these might sound very good, there are a number of unintended consequences for producing meat in the laboratories. A lot of people who are employed in animal farming, for example, may lose their jobs as the demand for expensive animal products will decrease by increased demand for low cost synthesized meat. Veterinarians working in the animal industry also may lose their jobs as animal farming will cease to exist. For some of these people who may not have other skills besides those associated with farming, surviving after farming will be unimaginable and impossible for them.
The health safety of meat produced in the laboratories is also a source of concern for every person that eats meat. The recently synthesized meat by Japanese scientists was done by producing meat from proteins found in human excrement. The process first involved isolating bacteria from various elements of food including protein, carbohydrates and fat. The food element is then extracted and recombined to form the meat product. Whilst food health safety experts such as Professor Douglas Powell from Kansas University in the United States have said that such meat produced from human excrement is safe for consumption, questions still remain about the health hazards associated with synthesized meat.
What will happen if synthesized bacteria in synthesized meat mutate and result in super bugs such as MRSA? Can eating synthesized meat flavoured with soy protein and coloured with food colouring increase the consumer risks for cancer? Already some of the food additives such as inorganic phosphates and colouring E128 found in food such as processed meat have been found to be carcinogens and increase the risk of lung cancer in consumers.
Definitely there are a number of benefits and risks of test tube meat. For the fact that the production of such meat is at its infancy stage it is difficult to assess the impact of these risks and benefits on consumers. That notwithstanding, it will be important for food regulatory authorities to ensure that a lot of safety mechanisms are in place before allowing test tube meat into the food chain.
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