I'm fairly sure this topic has come up in the past, however... Given lab-grown beef has already been demonstrated as being a thing, and now lab-grown chicken and duck has been demonstrated... What are people's thoughts on such things?
I've recently become hooked on Joe Rogan's podcasts, and this very topic came up on a show I listened to yesterday
I read something about grown fish protein which could be as a fish supplement for meals etc, I work in the food industry so it's something we hear about from time to time. As a whole personally I'm behind it as our reliance of cheap meats is too much but getting the masses to accept this is not something I see happening easily, the issues we have when a product is in a different box is crazy at times. I have some veggie friends who admit to missing the texture of a juicy beef burger, there's hope for them one day.
I would happily tuck in to lab-grown meat, providing it's nutritionally similar to or better than traditionally-grown meat and isn't too much more expensive. Like, I'd pay anything up to double the price of the meat I eat at the moment, but above that and even though I know that it's ethically the wrong decision I'd probably cheap out with traditional meat (though I try, where possible, to buy meat with some small degree of welfare guarantee: free-range chicken, that kind of thing.) Personally, I think there's an oft-overlooked middle ground between farmed meat and lab-grown meat: wild meat. You look at a caged chicken: shitty life, horrible death surrounded by the screams of its family. Free-range chicken: less shitty life, just as horrible a death. Wild rabbit? Lovely, completely natural, life, then one day there's a 'pop' noise from a stand of trees and it's lights out. No prolonged suffering. Granted, it doesn't scale - which is why we invented intensive farming in the first place and something lab-grown meat could solve - but I'm ethically much happier tucking into a nice rabbit stew than a KFC.
Does it taste the same? If it tastes the same then I don't give a hoot. If it tastes 'meh' or weird, not interested.
Have you ever eaten Quorn 'chicken' nuggets? They're amazing: if nobody told you, it'd be easy to believe they were chicken. I love 'em. Sadly, the rest of the Quorn 'meat' products are rubbish: Quorn mince is particularly grim in both texture and flavour.
I'll be honest, I have not had the nuggets. However, based on my experience with other Quorn products, I'm in no hurry to either! My mother used to 'sneak' Quorn into meals and claim she didn't think I'd notice after I'd tried eating some. Strangely, I noticed every time. Old shoe rubber painted to look like meat isn't really a good alternative to meat. While we're on the subject, can anyone clarify why vegetarians generally seem to want food that attempts to look and taste like the foodstuffs they choose not to eat? I'm of the understanding that plant matter can be prepared in a variety of interesting ways without pretend meat that kinda tastes like old shoe.
Not all of 'em do. There are plenty of vegetarians happy to eat vegetables in their vegetable form. The Quorn and similar 'meat' products (like textured vegetable protein, or TVP) exist for two reasons: first, it can be difficult to get enough protein in your diet if you're not eating meat so processed protein-heavy stuff is an easy way to fix that; second, 'cos some people are giving up meat for ethical or dietary reasons ('cos they don't like how farmed animals are treated or they're Fat Knackers) so they want something as close to the beef/chicken/bacon/whatever they used to enjoy with the ethical and/or dietary problems removed. Kinda like drinking Diet Coke instead of Coke. G'wan. Give the Quorn nuggets a go. If you don't like 'em, I'll send you a refund. Honest. They're delish!
We shall agree to disagree on that one... The nuggets were meh but i could do without the hours of stomach cramps afterwards...
They make it from fungus, which is why I asked. Technically, Quorn is the brand-name of a patented mycoprotein - myco meaning 'related to or of fungi.' S'made by fermenting Fusarium venenatum with oxygen, nitrogen, glucose and various minerals, then binding it all together with egg whites (making it, interestingly enough, unsuitable for consumption by vegans and others who shun all animal products.)
My mistake, was confusing it with something else... whatever it is is, quorn and i do not get along...
Of all the veggies I know (Okay, that list is admittedly small - I tend to find vegetarians are.. Over the top with saying it a lot) they get their protein any way except quorn/similar. I dunno, maybe being a die hard omnivore makes it impossible to taste anything but old shoe when trying meat replacement products..
Well, all I can tell you is that I'm certainly no vegetarian and I like the nuggets - to the point where I'd actively choose them over real chicken nuggets. Don't get me wrong, I'd choose a nice rare rump steak over either of 'em in a heartbeat - but sometimes a plate full of nuggets and barbecue sauce for dippin' is just what you need!
I'd eat it but I prefer the "eat less, eat good" approach to meat. All the meat I eat is locally sourced. I only eat red meat at the weekend (bacon sardnies for dinner (lunch) every Saturday and a Sunday roast are 100% essential). I buy a local whole-chicken every Monday or Tuesday and eat that or fish or quorn/veggie dishes in the week. And I eat a bit too much of it if truth be told.