We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
Advertiser Disclosure
Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
How We Make Money
We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently of our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Food

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

Is Lab-Grown Meat as Ethical as It Sounds?

Updated: May 16, 2024
Views: 2,490
References
Share

Everyone would love to eat for free for the rest of their lives, but a new product prototype is meant to test the limits of such a possibility and to raise questions about the ethics of lab-grown meat.

A group of American scientists and designers have created Ouroboros Steak, named after the ancient symbol of a serpent eating its own tail, as something of a commentary on the burgeoning industry of meat grown from cultured animal cells. Ouroboros Steak is made by taking cells from the inside of a person's mouth and adding a serum derived from expired human blood donations.

The bite-sized results aren't really meant to be eaten, but instead are being displayed at London's Design Museum. The creators are suggesting that Ouroboros Steak is currently the only possible way to make meat that does not rely on animals in any way.

The creators argue that despite claims of sustainability and cruelty-free animal treatment, lab-grown meat still harms animals because it relies on fetal bovine serum. This serum is derived from the blood of calf fetuses, which can only be obtained by killing a pregnant mother.

"As the lab-grown meat industry is developing rapidly, it is important to develop designs that expose some of its underlying constraints in order to see beyond the hype," said Andrew Pelling, a scientist who helped develop Ouroboros. "Although some lab-grown meat companies are claiming to have solved this problem (of using animal byproducts), to our knowledge no independent, peer-reviewed, scientific studies have validated these claims."

Some meaty truths:

  • No significant study has shown any human benefits to eating red meat, but many have connected it to heart disease, high cholesterol, and other illnesses.

  • Eating plant-based food instead of animal products is only beneficial if you choose correctly; white rice, french fries, cookies, and other choices are no more healthy than some meats.

  • The world's annual meat consumption is approximately 75 pounds (34 kg) per capita; more than 70 billion land animals are killed every year for meat.

Share
DelightedCooking is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.
Link to Sources
Discussion Comments
Share
https://www.delightedcooking.com/is-lab-grown-meat-as-ethica-as-it-sounds.htm
Copy this link
DelightedCooking, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

DelightedCooking, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.