Mass Produced Lab-Grown Meat Could Revolutionize Food Industry

Scientists have overcome a major obstacle to invitro meat or lab grown meat replacing the animal farm industry supplying meat to the worldwide food supply. The cost of using animal stem cells to grow meat tissue in the laboratory for human consumption was a major obstacle, and that has now been overcome based on new progress in the field. Other obstacles, both technical and cost, will surely be overcome. Experts predict that within 10-20 years lab grown meat will be available in grocery stores and restaurants worldwide. The benefits are enormous. Health-wise lab grown meat can be designed to have less fat and cholesterol, and more vital nutrients. The taste will be the same as animal meat or better.  The cost of producing lab grown meat is much, much lower than raising animals on farms and bringing the meat to stores and restaurants. Animal welfare advocates will surely be pleased as no animals will be harmed in the production of invitro meat. And the environmental impacts of animal farming are very negative, the water needed and pollution caused by the animal farm industry are huge. Lab grown meat will have minimal environmental impact and the closing of animal meat factories will be a huge win for the environment. In addition, the problem of world hunger in developing countries would be greatly alleviated by the availability of cheap, quality, and mass-produced meat. Just a fraction of the immense and wasteful resources used to maintain the animal farm and slaughterhouse industry could be used to help alleviate the human hunger issues in developing areas like Africa and Asia and the Middle East among others.

Personally, I feel this one of the extremely positive developments of human ingenuity. I was raised in the USA on a diet that included meat. I always enjoyed vegetarian meals but grew up enjoying the taste of meat as well, like most Americans. However, as a teenager and college student I realized a meat-heavy diet is unhealthy, contrary to animal rights, and environmentally unfriendly. Many times in high school and college I tried to be vegetarian. I prefer being vegetarian but still enjoy the taste of meat. Once the technical hurdles are cleared, and they will be as it only a matter of time and scientists around the world are busy working on this, I have no objection to lab grown meat. I would have no problem in the future eating a balanced diet of fruit and vegetables, grain, dairy, and lab grown meat. I would limit even my lab grown meat consumption, but as no animals would be needed and the health benefits of nutritionally optimized meat is there, I would include it in my diet. And of course regular exercise and meditation, this with a balanced diet would be an excellent part of my life routine.

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