Do You Believe in Cultivated Meat?
Cultivated meat, also known as cultured meat, cell-based meat, lab-grown meat, or clean meat, is meat that is produced by in vitro cell culture of animal cells. This means that the meat is grown from animal cells in a laboratory, rather than from slaughtered animals. The muscle is real muscle. The fat is real fat. These are not plant-based alternatives. This is real meat.
In the 2022 State of the Industry report for cultivated meat and seafood, the Good Food Institute lists 100 companies that are working on cultivated meat and another 83 that are working on eggs, dairy, “inputs”, or various cultivated animal byproducts. Some of these products are already available such as Aleph Farms’ steak in Singapore and Avant Meats’ chicken strips in Hong Kong. There are also companies working on sushi grade tuna and duck. How will society adapt to these cultivated meats?
Vegetarians and Vegans
Cultivated meat is marketed as humane, sustainable, and safe. This arguable solves the the vegan and vegetarian concerns around humane treatment of animals. In fact, animals do not have to be slaughtered at all. A few cells are initially harvested and then, with some manipulation, they continue to divide and grow in the lab. They are arguably organic and free of pesticides and hormones. The problems of overfishing, overhunting and free range versus cages all go away. What about the problem of eating cute things? Would more people eat veal? What about puppies? If no puppy were harmed but they taste amazing are you in?
Cannibals and Catholicism
Could this argument be taken to the extreme? What about eating humans. Does this cross the line if it is lab grown human muscle, fat, skin, tendon, blood?
While the meaning behind the holy Eucharist is controversial, the Catholic meaning behind the Body and Blood of Christ is that the bread and wine used in ritual are miraculously transformed into the actual body and blood of Jesus Christ. This is a mystery that Catholics believe in by faith, and it is one of the most important aspects of their faith. Would they prefer actual body and blood? What if we could get ahold of DNA from Jesus and grow his cells in a lab? Does that undermine the miracle of the Eucharist or bring us closer to God? Okay, I’ve gone too far.
Conclusion
Cultivated or lab grown meat is a current reality, albeit in its infancy. Still it is undeniably coming and societies around the world will have to decide whether it is a miracle or a misstep.