Test tube beef

[Zhizara]

Good point, Andy!

[GLC]

The grown pork would probably be pretty sterile. If the difference between commercial farm-raised pork and pigs raised running loose in the oak forest is any indicator, pork grown without any influences but pure nutrients couldn't be expected to taste like much. Like bob veal but without even the influence of the mother's diet.

[DampCharcoal]

Originally Posted by Andy M.

On the bright side, there probably isn't any gristle in test tube ground beef.

Actually, that possibility did cross my mind.

[Steve Kroll]

Originally Posted by taxlady

Would you eat it?

If you were a vegetarian, would you eat it?

No and no.

[PattY1]

No.

[PrincessFiona60]

Soylent Green is People!!!!!

[Greg Who Cooks]

Originally Posted by GLC

Sure, I'd eat it. I mean I wouldn't gag at the thought of eating it. It's just beef muscle and fat. But beef flavor is produced by the actions of an extremely complex array of factors. But acceptable flavor is probably something that can be done, at least by the time the process is economically feasible. It's obviously well suited for emulating ground beef. But one of the ultimate goals of all such processes is to grow functional replicas of specific organs. No doubt one of the first steps beyond mystery meat will be a generic muscle. But that's a big step. It's one thing growing one tissue. It's another to create the mix or muscle fiber, connective tissue, and fat in beef muscle.

And adding to what you say, muscle is not just a genetic formula. The muscle has to go through an exercise regime, or otherwise there would be no difference between range beef or range chicken and the normal products.

You can't create a formula like this. It wo't work unless you duplicate all the exercise conditioning that forms the muscles that become our steaks.

[Somebunny]

Originally Posted by DampCharcoal

Ugh, no.

If it ever comes down to test tube beef being the only beef available, I'll buy a 47' Fountain Lightning and make high speed runs between Baton Rouge and an undisclosed location on the Yucatan Peninsula.

There I will conduct illicit transactions with a shady beef purveyor. I'll make MILLIONS!

Did I take that too far?

Charcoal, you might not make"millions"! Have you ever eaten Mexican beef? Some if it is pretty darn tough! I think this is because the "grass" is missing in grass fed beef, not alot of grass in some parts of Mexico, lol! But then again....it might be better than "test tube beef"! :)

[Caslon]

Originally Posted by PrincessFiona60

Soylent Green is People!!!!!

People in that movie ate it to survive, I don't think anyone in that movie said it was tasty. Maybe this future world will have to grow meat with little taste (some virus that kills off most animals).

It'll be a time in our future maybe. But after that period... we'll all have food replicators like in Star Trek the Next Generation that can replicate your long dead moms favorite recipe to a tee. They will have gotten growing meat and all other meal ingredients to perfection.

I see this as the first step towards a Soylent Green type necessity, ending up with Star Treks Next Generation food replicator perfection.

Science will be the cause and the cure to all our problems.

[Zhizara]

I agree, Caslon. Technology will find a way.