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Rearing meat in a petri dish:
Ethical
At a Glance:
implications of in vitro meat production By Enakshi Sivasudhan
This article highlights the positive ethical implications of in vitro meat production. Some of the key points mentioned are the advantages of lab grown meat over the conventional method of meat production, cost of implementing this new technology and the acquired
On 5th August 2013, a simple pan-fried hamburger alongside tomato, lettuce and a bun was served to three diners amidst a crowd of gathered journalists somewhere in London. The hamburger was not a creation by a world-class chef or, by any account, a revelatory gastronomic experience. stration of an edible in vitro meat product produced by Dr. Mark Post and his team from Maastricht University [1]. The traditional method of meat production involves raising animals and hous size and then slaughtering them in order to produce meat products for consumption [2]. Laboratory-grown meat, however, involves extracting animal stem cells, thereby combining tissue engineering techniques and 3D printing while using animal sources only in the initial biopsy [3]. The idea of producing in vitro meat has sparked debate about its ethical implications over the years. However, this article concentrates on some of the positive implications of in vitro meat production, while addressing the impact of this potential game changing technology from an ethical point of view. In recent years the need for alternatives for conventional meat production through livestock has been generally based on concerns about environmental issues, sustainability and animal welfare. These concerns have Conventional meat production and animal husbandry could lead to large emissions of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere as well as deforestation to gain land for livestock farming. According to Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) large-scale production of in vitro meat will reduce energy usage by . This would allow more land areas to be conserved, providing more space for the survival of wild animals and plants, while ensuring the production of ample meat to feed an increasing world population [5]. According to New a
meat, this is a possibility because in theory a single stem cell is capable of
a
According to Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) large-scale production of in vitro meat will reduce energy usage by 45%, land use by 99%, greenhouse gas emission by 96% and water usage by 96%, compared to the conventional method of meat production.
Issue 11/2015
