A Sizzling Debate: Marta Zaraska on Lab-Grown Meats

It’s still many years from appearing on the menu of your local burger joint, but the first lab-grown patty debuted this summer and it has generated some meaty discourse. Science journalist Marta Zaraska contributes to the debate in this August 2013 essay in The Atlantic.

Read it here: Zaraska, "Is Lab-Grown Meat Good for Us?"

 

  1. Zaraska elaborates a number of differences between conventional and lab-grown meat. What are they? Which of the health problems caused by conventional meats would be eliminated with lab-grown meats? What is Zaraska’s own position about lab-grown meats? How and where does she express her position? Point to specific examples from the text.
  2. Zaraska’s essay employs many qualifications, such as “…may help lower risk of heart disease” and “… most likely heme iron free.” Do the numerous qualifications discredit her argument for you? Why or why not?  Are there any assertions stated with confidence and without qualification? How do you receive these statements differently than those that are heavily qualified? Point to specific examples in your comparison.
  3. Zaraska relies on interviews with Professor Mark Post, the developer of the lab-grown meat and other authorities. Who are Zaraska’s other sources? How does she establish their credibility and that of the essay overall? Is the picture they present sufficiently comprehensive and well-balanced? Why or why not? Explain your reasoning.
  4. Would you consider eating lab-grown meat? Why or why not? What factors other than nutritional content would influence your decision? How would you weigh all of these factors against each other and why? Write an essay addressing these questions, and use Zaraska’s essay as your They Say. Do additional research, if necessary, in order to support your ideas.

 

 

92 thoughts on “A Sizzling Debate: Marta Zaraska on Lab-Grown Meats

  1. Thomas Butts's avatar Thomas Butts

    With the tools that technology has created over the past 50 years, scientists and engineers have gone back to the drawing board to ask the question, can I make this better? Whether scientists and engineers evaluate an organic product to determine if they can adopt a more efficient way to create the product or a more economical way to generate the original building blocks of a product, scientists and engineers have started to tinker. Tinkering is a good thing. It allows for the evaluation of a process or product to determine its true impact on society and to determine the market ability of the re-engineered product.
    As with most adoptions of new technology, there is a period of discovery and then a period of trial and error. During these periods it is extremely difficult to evaluate the long term effects of a process or product on society or an ecosystem. This does not mean that we should stop evaluating the potential of altering a product for more efficient means of manufacturing. Take for instance the evolution of cell phones. They have evolved over the years in their potential applications and the input elements used to create them. This is evolution. This is tinkering.
    As Professor Post stated in Ms. Zaraska article, “Once all of these other components are included in cultured meat there is no reason for it to be less healthy than conventional meat.” This statement should provide us a moment of reassurance that this process is still only in the development phase. No matter how much the potential is touted in bringing this process to market, we all need to take a minute and anchor ourselves in reality and realize the process of growing food in a laboratory or in an industrial sense is still years away. There is still an opportunity for this potential to fail or succeed. But we should not be fearful of this opportunity but embrace the evolution of the process.

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  2. Irene Tankelewicz's avatar Irene Tankelewicz

    Oh, gosh, how do I get my hands on some of this frankenmeat? This wonder meat promises lower bad fatty acids and higher good fatty acids! There are even anticipated versions of meat with lower heme iron and L-carnitine! Coming soon, chimpanzee meat! Sure, current in vitro meats do not have the nutrients essential for good health but “they” are looking into it. That is reassuring.
    I understand the health effects of eating large quantities of meat. I get that obesity and diabetes are an epidemic, especially in the United States. I also understand the absolute atrocities that are our mega-farms. It disgusts me to know the conditions that these animals live in for their entire lives. It horrifies me that animals on these farms are given antibiotics not because they are ill but to promote growth. What I cannot understand is, is test tube meat really the best we can do? Is there not a better way?
    There is a better way. Free range farming is a better way. Instead of spending money to fund endeavors as ridiculous as perfecting in vitro meat, sink money into farming that allows animals to spend their lives in pasture, roaming around, foraging for food, happy as can be. Happy animals are better quality animals. Let them grow as they should, without antibiotics. As an added benefit, use their manure to make crops grow.
    Have some patience. Free range farming does not happen overnight and it is not immediately profitable. It is, however, the right thing to do and it is surely a lot less terrifying than the idea of meat grown in a tube.

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  3. Maxfield Cenoz's avatar Maxfield Cenoz

    First of all, the first question is false: “Is Lab-grown meat good for us?”
    Without asking, one can see how lab-grown meat is good for animals – specifically because we wouldn’t have to kill them!
    Eating lab-grown meat is simply the alternative to risking the problems associated with conventional animal meat. We’re aware of strains of infection, i.e. MRSA, found in animal meat in the U.S., so it’s doubly bad for us physiologically to eat conventional meat. The question persists, how do we know what goes into lab-grown meat? Well, we can rest assured that if we use carefully monitored and expensive procedures for in vitro fertilization which decides a human’s fate, then it is safe to assume the meat will be as lean, clean and ‘green’ as possible. (By Green I imply environmentally conscious).
    As a vegetarian, a common counter-argument to my dietary decisions comes from meat eaters in the form of: “Well, meat tastes good, don’t you miss it?”
    What if lab-grown meat tasted EXACTLY the same as conventional animal meat? What if it had less risk and more nutrients? What’s stopping meat-eaters from saying “Well, I’m already hurting the environment and animal life by consuming conventional meat, I might as well invest in lab-grown meat which is better for me anyway.”
    This article covers the common issue of CAFOs risking human well-being as well as ecological and psychological problems associated with ethics (toward animals) and knowledge over what we’re ingesting and subsequently how it affects our physiological self.
    The take-away point of this whole article is the idea of sterility. With a completely sterile environment, not unlike the facilities which produce needed medicines, what is there to lose by investing in an ethically and physiologically improved method of consumption? Meat grown in a tube is under more scrutiny than the meat surrounded by a chaotic mess of biological processes which are out of our control – unless you want to use antibiotics of course. What’s the best result? I vote for the one that spares life.
    -Max Cenoz

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  4. Glen Stroman's avatar Glen Stroman

    Here are a few points from Readers Digests’ book Foods That Harm and Foods that Heal 2004: cherries can provoke allergic reactios in some people; with wheat germ, excessive consumption can cause liver diesease, cancer and birth defects;and turnips may cause flatulence and contain substances that interfer with the production of thyroid harmones. The point here is, like with meat an argument can be made giving reasons for not eating some plant based foods.
    I realize that aside from health there are other reasons for not eating meat, but why eat lab-grown meat? Concerning the reasons given in this article while reading,I noticed words and phrases like: “not exactly, if, most likley, conventional wisdom, if consumed, may, is also possible, and there is no reason for it to be less healthy.”
    There are other protien products being marketed. My guess is they’re cheaper too. So, for me it’s “no thanks” I’ll stay with soy burgers for now and wait for the Food and Drug Administrations approval before I consider it.

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  5. Khoi Nguyen's avatar Khoi Nguyen

    We should decide whether to eat this food just like any other food. You consider the benefits (for the environment, for the animals, for your health – good nutrients and lack of bad substances, ) and the possible costs (its literal cost, its associated risks).
    While the immediate negative feelings are understandable, they are nevertheless irrational. Of course this product needs more careful research than usual because it’s a new food technology. We need long term studies to determine whether it can affect us in the long terms. That ranges from causing vitamin deficiencies, genetic mutations, being carcinogenic etc. However, if it has been observed to show no harmful effects, then there is absolutely no reason not to eat it. Even if it does not offer the superior nutrition or taste like real meat, it’s still a wonderful way to reduce animal cruelty, help the environment and perhaps it’s cheaper than real meat.
    The whole “natural” sentiment is irrational and unjustified. . Plenty of things in nature are bad for us, and even with benefits have some drawbacks. A good example of that is soy. Similarly, non-natural food-processing like soaking, steaming, cooking, baking can make food more nutritious and facilitate digestion. Medicine is also non-natural. Natural doesn’t tell us anything. Denying something simply because it’s unnatural is unscientific.
    Food wasn’t exactly created for human consumption and so it’s not perfect for consumption. But we’ve adapted to the point where it works. If this meat works, why not?

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  6. Gabby Cruz's avatar Gabby Cruz

    While this whole situation seemed weird to me at first after further reading the article I don’t see a problem with this lab grown meat. As others have mentioned it will potentially reduce the amount of cruelty many animals suffer through and offers a healthier version of meat consumed today. However, even with the apparent benefits I don’t think that the majority of Americans will even consider it due to the “yuck-factor” many experience.

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  7. Ara J.'s avatar Ara J.

    The major difference between the conventional meat and the lab grown meat would be the health effects: lab grown meat has less of the saturated fat and cholesterol than the average red meat. Of course at this stage of research, it is hard not to qualify for many things. But the uncertainty isn’t necessarily something that discredits her argument, as the main focus of this article seems like it is to show people an option to think about.
    In my opinion, this is just a twist of GMOs (genetically modified organisms), except it would be “from scratch.” We were able to produce an edible material that may be more healthful to our body than what we normally consume. The only negative reaction is stirs is the fact that it’s made in a lab (“frankenmeat”). But people don’t think about the setting in which the conventional meats are handled in. Unless we find dangerous side effects by consuming this meat, it can be used as a beneficial way in so many different perspectives.

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  8. Meena Patne's avatar Meena Patne

    It seems almost too good to be true. Meat that’s sterile, removed of all those nasty, potentially harmful compounds, and grown in an ecologically sustainable way that doesn’t cause suffering. Now if only the tastebuds were to be appeased. Really, the only factor even worth considering is the the “ickiness” of lab grown meat. “Will it taste good?” is probably the only thought people are having, since the meat itself is sterilized properly and even modified to be healthier than conventional meat. The healthiness or safety of the meat isn’t even an issue. People don’t really give much thought to factory farms, to slaughterhouses, to any mechanized process through which living, breathing animals get magically turned into sausages or steaks. Since these areas are cesspools of disease-causing bacteria, to question the lab grown meat as being “not healthy” would be hypocritical. As for free range animals, those walking piles of guts that allegedly roam around happily in miles of freshly mown grass under the sun, there is still the question of proper removal of waste, a pungent reality that is perhaps present in greater quantities due to happi-“er” animals. Waste is a potential bio-hazard, especially the vast heaps that can’t be reused in some acceptable way, like manure fertilizer; it’s too much! As per USDA regulations, there isn’t even a standard that is followed among free range farmers; they could basically claim that since their chickens (free range regulations only apply to poultry) get sunshine for 15 minutes, they’re free range.
    The only problem I see for lab grown meat is that of taste. And even that can be chemically modified, since humans taste more with their noses than their mouths. To change the perception of “frankenmeat” might be a challenging one, but people will try anything really.

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  9. Jasmin Melendez's avatar Jasmin Melendez

    Firstly, I’d like to say that this idea of lab-grown meat can be beneficial not only to the environment, but on the animals that are mistreated. With lab-grown meat, Zaraska points out that the major differences between conventional and lab meat is that the lab meat will have no saturated fats, no heme iron, or growth hormones. From the meat that we eat now, we face serious health risks like heart disease or diabetes. By having the lab meat, it’ll eventually decrease the risk of those health concerns for the community.
    By saying this, I don’t think it may discredit the idea of me possibly eating this lab-grown meat. The meat we eat now seems more disturbing to eat with how animals are treated and how most animals live in confined spaces. Its unethical. Yet, the major issue that this brings is just the “yuck” factor or how it might taste, but to be able to eat meat from an animal who’s been injected with hormones and has possible disease ridden factors is something to consider when we’ll know this lab meat will be grown in a sterile environment. I honestly think I’d give it a try. If anything it may taste similar to vegetarian patties, which in my opinion don’t taste all that bad.

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  10. James Romero's avatar James Romero

    Bring on the test-tube burgers! While the concerns on how lab-grown foods affect our health are with merit, they should not keep us from developing the technology. Fear should never triumph over the pursuit of knowledge, especially knowledge which may improve our environment. As it is, a laboratory is the only place where you have the chance of finding chemically pure foods. All food produced for mass consumption has some form of impurity in it, we now have the chance of eliminating the causes of many diseases, simply by using what comes naturally to humans, the ability to manipulate nature.

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  11. Vanessa Vega's avatar Vanessa Vega

    In response to Jasmin Melendez post, I agree with her. We can get many benefits from grown-lab meats; one of the most important is getting rid of CAFOs. CAFOs pollute our environment and are responsive for human deaths yearly. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention state, “Meat and poultry are the most common food sources of fatal infections, responsible for 29 percent of food-poisoning related deaths in the U.S., largely due to Salmonella and Listeria infections.” If we have been consuming unhealthy meat all these years, the invention of this meat will benefit us. This is not a bad idea; most of the food we consume has been alter one way of another. When we eat factory farm meat, we are consuming dosages of hormones and antibiotics. There is no such thing as good meat now, unless people raise their own cattle.
    Another great benefit from this meat is that since it will be grown in labs there will be better sanitation. It is easier to keep a lab-grown patty free of bacteria than a herd of animals. We will no longer have to worry about whether the animal was ill before being killed. If lab-growing meat becomes the new process of making meat perhaps it will seize factory farms. This would probably trigger farms to properly take care of their animals. Farms will have no other choice then to raise good meat that people will actually want to consume. Is like a competition, if these lab-grown meats are being made healthy and beneficially, people will want to consume what is best for them. Therefore, if some people do not want to consume the grown-lab meat, they will be able to buy fresh meat once again.

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  12. Vanessa Vega's avatar Vanessa Vega

    In response to Jasmin Melendez post, I agree with her. We can get many benefits from grown-lab meats; one of the most important is getting rid of CAFOs. CAFOs pollute our environment and are responsive for human deaths yearly. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention state, “Meat and poultry are the most common food sources of fatal infections, responsible for 29 percent of food-poisoning related deaths in the U.S., largely due to Salmonella and Listeria infections.” If we have been consuming unhealthy meat all these years that have been the cause of human deaths yearly, the invention of this meat will benefit us. This is not a bad idea; most of the food we consume has been alter one way of another in labs. When we eat factory farm meat, we are consuming dosages of hormones and antibiotics. There is no such thing as good meat now, unless people raise their own cattle.
    Another great benefit from this meat is that since it will be grown in labs there will be better sanitation. It is easier to keep a lab-grown patty free of bacteria than a herd of animals. We will no longer have to worry about whether the animal was ill before being killed while consuming the meat. If lab-growing meat becomes the new process of making meat perhaps it will seize factory farms. This would probably trigger farms to properly take care of their animals. Farms will have no other choice then to raise good meat that people will actually want to consume. Is like a competition, if these lab-grown meats are being made healthy and are beneficial people will want to consume what is best for them. Therefore, if some people do not want to consume the grown-lab meat, they will be able to buy fresh meat once again.

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  13. Sydney Morris's avatar Sydney Morris

    While I agree with Thomas and James that we should continue to research and improve technology before we label cultured meat as either good or bad for us, I think it is important to note that it will be years before this test-tube meat becomes available to the public, if it ever does. However, if it does, I do not think we should do away with regular meat entirely. Irene made a great point about how free-range farming leads to healthier and happier animals. Using this version of farming over CAFOs is more humane and will help prevent the bacteria produced by stressed animals. In addition, incorporating traditional meat raised in a proper way with the cultured meat would allow for optimum health. We will still be getting the healthy nutrients from traditional meat while cutting down on our intake of saturated fats thanks to the test-tube meat.

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  14. Jessica Holanda's avatar Jessica Holanda

    Lab-grown meat is definitely an interesting approach to combat the poorly raised livestock in America. Not only can we manipulate the nutrient content of lab-meat, but it is actually edible. however I am skeptical many Americans would turn to only this method when faced with the craving of a good steak. Raising livestock is still a traditional and cultural staple in America. Many family’s lives revolve around the farm because it is also a chosen lifestyle specifically to distance themselves from the absurdity of society’s conventional ways. There will be a significant difference on how our bodies may respond to a completely new product, especially one that was never consumed in human history. Our bodies seem to know what is truly real and what has been made by human hands. We also would not be giving future generations a chance to interact with real livestock and their natural environment. It would also get in the way of proper education which is introducing what meat actually is and that is not from a container in the grocery store. If an individual is really concerned with health risks they know better to have a specific product in moderation as well.

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  15. Karli Wilson's avatar Karli Wilson

    Lab-grown meat is an interesting thing to be using the new technology we have to create, but it makes sense to an extent. If we take a look at the poor conditions a lot of animals are brought up in, it seems like this type of meat would be a lot safer, not to mention healthier considering scientists can control what goes in to the meat, and what comes out. I, personally, don’t think I’d ever eat it, especially considering I’m not much of a meat eater to begin with, but I do see the good that could come out of this. The only unfortunate side of this, if the meat does get as good of feedback as the scientists are probably hoping for someday, many farmers of these livestock will more than likely be put out of business. The demand for real meat will probably still be there, so not everyone will lose their jobs, but in our society, with so many people wanting to be healthier, I think this lab-grown meat may become very popular, especially if it really is as healthy as they say it will be.

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  16. Chaila Allen's avatar Chaila Allen

    This was a very convincing and interesting article. The living conditions of farm raised animals is alarming, not to mention how much land the farms occupy. “Frankenmeat” seems like a safe alternative to the issue, however we cannot yet see the risks that may be hidden. Although farm practices are disturbing, they are big large part of human history and nature. If we no longer need these animals, what may become of them? I don’t think we should do anyway with farm raised meat entirely, however there are some very big changes that need to be made to farm-raised meat production. I definitely think that finding new, healthy alternatives food production is a great idea, and we should continue to develop the technology to create it. While I do support these actions, I will probably stick to grass fed, free range meat.

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  17. John Bond's avatar John Bond

    At first I was weary of lab-grown meat, but after reading this article my position has shifted slightly. The way we raise farm animals for food in this country is so poor that it is actually becoming quite unhealthy to eat these animals. Although lab-grown meat seems gross and repulsive, with our technology these days I believe it is possible to create healthier meat in a laboratory than in our animals.

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  18. Trisha Langenfeld's avatar Trisha Langenfeld

    Marta Zaraska claims in the very first sentence of her argument that “Conventional meat (the kind that grows inside animals, not petri dishes) is, in several ways, not exactly good for our health.” Her reasons for this claim include that animal meat causes heart disease, diabetes, and some types of cancer. However, unprocessed, high quality meat is some of the most nutritious food in the world. There is Vitamin B12, B3, B6, Iron, Zinc, Selenium and plenty of other vitamins and mineral in only 3.5 ounces of ground beef. These are surely not disease-causing elements.
    Red meat doesn’t raise your risk of cardiovascular disease or diabetes, though it is believed to do so because of its saturated fats. This myth has been debunked due to recent Harvard study, wherein 1,218,380 million people were tested. This study showed no correlation between unprocessed red meat and cardiovascular disease and diabetes, although processed red meat is still a high risk.

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  19. Before I read this article, I questioned the nutritional value lab-grown meat on the human body. After reading the article and learning about the benefitting nutritional value of such meats, I now question the long term effects that lab-grown meat would have on us as a society: Would the meat lead to negative heath effects, such as cancer? or Would the meat lead to a healthier and more humane society in the future? Currently, I support the research of this new food technology, for it could work to end world hunger. Though, I would not eat the lab-grown meat until further reseach has been done.

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  20. Jonathan Minor's avatar Jonathan Minor

    Of course when I heard “lab-grown meat” I was pretty concerned. What (if any) could be the negative effects to someone’s health? But also, what could the possible benefits be. Is this “lab-grown meat” less expensive than normal meat? But after reading the article, I saw that the “lab-grown meat” could have huge potential. I think that with more research and testing this “lab-grown meat” could help our society be healthier and more humane.

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  21. Joanna B's avatar Joanna B

    Before this article, I honestly did not think about the difference between the lab-grown meat and actual meat. There are a lot of differences between the two, and I personally think that the lab-grown meat sounds healthier. Zaraska advocates that lab-grown meat is a much better option rather than the meat that is raised on cattle and poultry farms. Farms that animals are raised on are not sanitary, the animals develop certain diseases that then get passed on to humans when they concern the meat. She claims that people who live near these farms have been reported to have several health issues that are associated with being around these animals. Not to mention the fact that it would be a much kinder thing for the animals because let’s face it, the animals are not treated kindly they are harassed. The poor treatment that they receive also leads to diseases, when they are stressed they produce toxins that commonly cause salmonella. I agree that lab-grown meat is a much more sterile, safer, and better option.

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  22. Barry Bernard Boy Of Destiny's avatar Barry Bernard Boy Of Destiny

    With all the disease and death people suffer from these days, and how many people blame these developments on processed food, I can’t believe that meat completely created in a lab would find any kind of success. While a healthier more efficient meat seems to make sense, I bet it won’t taste the same. There will be people who vehemently oppose “test-tube meat” even if it makes more sense financially and economically. Whether or not I could eat manufactured meat, I don’t know, and i likely won’t know til a while after the new meat product comes out.

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  23. Desire M's avatar Desire M

    In this article, Zaraska argues whether conventional meat or lab-grown meat is better for us, celebrating the fact that lab-grown meat has more benefits and is much safer. With research showing that meat leads to higher risks of certain diseases, such as heart disease and diabetes, consuming test tube meat will decrease those risks, and even replace harmful things found in meat with more medically beneficial additives. Not only will lab grown meat be better for our health, but it will also replace CAFOs and put an end to animal slaughter. I, being a vegetarian, think that creating lab grown meat is a great idea, and that it will result in significant medical changes. What is better is that it will put a big smile on the faces of animals, at last.

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  24. O'Brien's avatar O'Brien

    Throughout the text Zaraska describes both the pros and cons of conventional and lab – grown meat. The differences between the two are that the test tube meat will have a smaller chance of passing on a infectious disease, it will not contain heme-iron, and that there will be a smaller amount of hazardous things that affect communities. Test tube meats would eliminate possible health problems associated with conventional meats such as diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and complications with the workers and communities. The meat will be cleaner and the community as a whole will benefit from eating test tube meat.I believe that Zaraska would prefer the test tube meat over conventional meat because throughout the article, she only discuesses the pros of test tube meat and the negatives of conventional meat. She doesn’t really talk about the negative side effects that test tube meant might have other than when she says that people may find it gross to eat.

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  25. MC's avatar MC

    You would think that lab-grown meat sounds too ridiculous to even exist, but Zaraska proves that such a thing is real. The one positive that is stressed throughout the article is how it would improve the overall health of the population. It would improve health since the lab meat is fat free which means that there would be a decrease of those who are obese and less cases of diseases that are linked to obesity, like diabetes. Also there are health hazard such as pollution that farms create and the nitrates that can come from animals. While this article is about the positives of test tube meat, I find that a negative would be making another thing in our society unnatural, which means we would be disconnecting even more from nature and I do not believe this would be a good thing.I do verify that there is many positives to the idea of lab-grown meat, but I still question if this would actually be a good thing for our society.

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  26. Natalie10614's avatar Natalie10614

    Zaraska consistently supports the idea that cultured meat could be more beneficial and lessen the chance of diseases and ailments. There is some truth in this because diseases from a cow itself could be prevented in lab born meat, but the article’s opposing points bring up that cultured meat could lack vital nutrients. The article then brings up that things we don’t need would get filtered out but implies at the expense of the natural things. Cultured meat would be a plus because all the unwanted, harmful substances could be controlled out, and it could provide more meat to the world. The cons would be that it still has the possibility of accidental contamination and would miss essential natural nutrients; plus if someone wanted to infect thousands of people at once, all they would have to do is have access to the meat to contaminate it.

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  27. jared_davis3's avatar jared_davis3

    It is often said that contemporary meat is better for you than lab made meat, but this might not be the case anymore. Recent studies that have come out and new research are starting to show proof that lab gown meat could be better for you. All the health benefits there are to lab grown meat are bigger than contemporary meat because they can play around with it and change it according to the customer. Contemporary meat is also likely to have diseases in them. I think that lab grown meat could be the future because it seems overall healthier. If they are actually able to change it where it gives us the nutrients we need then I think that is the way to go. We want to keep our body healthy by keeping diseases out but by also getting vital nutrients. If lab made meat is able to accomplish this then I can see that as the new meat.

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  28. Natalie Russo's avatar Natalie Russo

    Before even reading this article I wasn’t sure how I felt about lab grown meat, I figured that there were no benefits to using or producing such a product. After reading this article my position changed. I now think that there are several benefits to researching information and doing experiments to possibly one day be able to eat, produce, and sell such a product.
    Then some red flags are raised. We won’t know the long term effects of eating this lab grown meat. It could lead to cancer, chemical poisoning, or any defect of our organs. I think with more research this could possibly be a big beneficial factor in our society.

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  29. Ethcon's avatar Ethcon

    In the media and society today, genetically altered or lab based foods, and in particular meat products have been stereotyped as “bad” for us. That now seems to not be the case. Recent studies are showing that regular ingestion of natural meats lead to a higher chance of heart disease, diabetes, and various cancers. Contemporary meats also can carry disease and with lab meats, that wouldn’t be an issue. On the other side of things lab meats can lack the nutrients that are needed for the body. The way I see it now, there is simply not enough evidence of the benefits to lab based meat. It hasn’t existed long enough to prove that these meats are safe for us in the long term, until then, I’ll stay with what has worked since the start of humanity.

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  30. AC's avatar AC

    Throughout the article, Zaraska states facts to support the pros and cons of both lab grown meat and meat from animals. In my opinion, I believe that lab grown meat is much better for our health, and society completely. It removes the risk of getting certain diseases and illness, like diabetes. Plus, lab grown meat would eliminate the health hazards and pollution coming from farms. I also like the idea of no longer needing slaughterhouses if lab grown meat replaced farm raised meat.

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  31. cam's avatar cam

    There are many claims of diseases and death due to processed food, and with that I do not see a bright future for meat completely made in a lab. Although the processor may claim for the meat to be healthier which seems to be good,but it may not taste the same as meat from an animal will taste.I agree there could be many positives to this processed meat but it may not be well liked. People will still oppose to eat this “test-tube meat” even if it is more financially better or is very popular in the economy.This processed meat may not be good for society and could cause massive harm to any nation. I would not want to see myself eating the processed meat.

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  32. ljm1400's avatar ljm1400

    Throughout the article, Zaraska explains to us some of the good and bad things about a new, “manufactured” type of meat made in a test tube. Some of the good things that would come about from this is that it would allow for the manufacturers to add the “ingredients” into the meat as they wanted. It also could greatly reduce the risk of harmful bacteria in the meat since it would be produced in a very sterile environment. However, despite these good things that Zaraska explains, we are also informed that there are some drawbacks to this new type of meat. So far, the meat only includes muscle fibers, no fat, which does not allow us to get all of the nutrients that we usually would from normal meat. Also, there is still a chance that the meat could get infected with some of the bacteria the way it is currently made. Another drawback to the manufactured meat is that people still are not very ready to accept this “test-tube meat” as a part of their diet.

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  33. sam's avatar sam

    Normally I would think that fresh meat straight from a cow or pig would be the healthier option. After reading this article, I clearly understand why test tube meat would be a healthier option than fresh meat from a cow or pig. Zaraska is clearly supporting test tube meat since he gives us reasoning behind why it is healthier. There is a smaller chance of infectious diseases harming us, no heme-iron, and even eliminating harmful health risks. Diabetes, cancer, and heart disease would be found in less people. In my opinion, even though Zaraska supports lab grown meat, I personally don’t know if I would trust it at first. I would have to see people consuming it for a long amount of time, without any harm being done to fully trust it. Based off of research, it is claimed to be a lot more healthy, but this is new. I feel like it hasn’t been tested long enough on humans, to see if the results are truly more healthy than fresh meat.

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  34. Saltanat's avatar Saltanat

    After reading Zaraska’s passage “Is Lab-Grown Meat Good For Us?” I agree with her.She contradicts herself/can’t have it both ways. On the one hand, she argues that meat can influence the human society in a positive but at the same time negative way. On the other hand, she also says that not all the meat that we get are as healthy as they look. Although she’s mentioned that certain meats can lead to either a heart disease, cancer, or diabetes. Since the meat depends on the animal itself and how it was taken care of. By focusing on her passage, Zaraska overlooks the deeper problem of staying healthy when we can’t mine a good product at all times. Zaraska’s right that conventional meat may lead to listeria. She also has mentioned that it can be extremely harmful. Evidence show that it can be dangerous for pregnant women’s and it is got 100 percent guaranteed that eating that certain conventional meat will be safe and healthy for you. In fact that some people do get poisoned “in recent months 134 people in 13 states were infected with a strain of Salmonella from chicken meat” said Ingrid Newkrik. If soon the meat that we eat daily won’t be as healthy as it was how would it effect our health from not eating a certain product that we eat everyday?

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  35. Money's avatar Money

    In the article, Zaraska often explains the positives and the negatives about lab grown meat. According to Zaraska, the lab grown could meat decrease health problems we can have from eating the ‘bad’ meat. There would be decreases in diabetes, heart problems, and certain types of cancer later in life. Lab grown meat can also provide healthier alternatives in the ingredients they include. Even with these effective positives in our healthy life, there are surprisingly some negatives to lab grown meats. Lab grown meat can in fact get infected by bacteria during processing. Also people would be inclined to the idea of ‘fake’ meat.

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  36. EKATEPUHA's avatar EKATEPUHA

    According to Marta Zaraska, lab grown meat can help benefit people in many ways. This type of meat has the ability to protect people from unnecessary diseases that they could get from eating meat that came from a farm-grown cow or pig. Although Zaraska does seem to prove her point, I believe that eating fresh meat is actually a healthier option. The consumer of the meat never knows what was used to have the meat actually grow in the lab. It is true that many farmers also use dewormers, pesticides, etc that can be dangerous to humans but in a lab, an accident could occur in which all the meat would get infected. Also, lab-grown meat lacks the nutrients that people could get from the meat that comes from an actual animal. Farm-grown meat is more natural. Although there are many pros about lab-grown meat, I still believe that farm-grown meat is the healthier option.

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  37. Donsk's avatar Donsk

    There are many differences between conventional and lab-grown meat. Conventional meats can cause health problems that lab-grown meats can prevent, such as diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. Zaraska seems to advocate lab-grown meat since she writes about the negative side effects for conventional meat more than the lab-grown. I, personally, don’t think I would try lab-grown meat because I grew up eating conventional meat.

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  38. Mo B's avatar Mo B

    In the article, Zaraska insists that lab-grown meat is a healthier option compared to eating conventional meat. She informs us that lab-grown meat has less of a chance of causing health risks and is overall a healthier option compared to conventional meat. Although these points are strong and do influence my opinion a bit, I must admit that I still prefer conventional meat. The thought of lab grown meat does not sit well with me and I do not believe I would be able to eat it easily. The thought of eating meat that someone made in a lab irks me, as I am used to eating conventional meat. Zaraska also remarks on the fact that conventional meat can lead to E. coli, but she also reminds us that lab-grown meat also has this threat. While, lab-grown meat is safer, it is not perfect and still contains threats to our health.

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  39. gotta's avatar gotta

    In this article Zaraska talks about the newly developed lab grown meat. She clearly has a bias in this article as she only discusses the pros of the lab grown meat and the cons of conventional meat, it is not hard to tell which side she is taking here. Continuing on, she thoroughly discusses the pros of the lab grown meat. She claims that it would keep communities safer by not spreading sickness throughout surrounding communities where conventional meat is found. Also she states that lab grown meat will have less chance of having salmonella or some other bacteria that can cause people to get sick. She looks at lab grown as only a positive thing while from her perspective conventional meat is absolutely the wrong choice. She claims conventional meat has more harm to communities and people are more susceptible to sickness by eating conventional meat.

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  40. VinnyE's avatar VinnyE

    I am the type of person to eat meat daily. I never would have thought about trying or eating lab meats. I did not think there were any benefits worth switching meats. I do see there is negatives to real, animal meats. Some of the positives of test tube meat over “real meats” is it is said to be healthier, and less likely to have deadly diseases. I don’t know if I trust this option though. Lab meat can also become infected and also I have survived and enjoyed real meat my whole life. Maybe someday my stance will change, but as of now my opinion stands.

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  41. Kait's avatar Kait

    In this article about Lab-Grown meat, the author advocates that Lab-Grown meat might be a great alternative to the meat we eat from pigs or cows. They celebrate the fact that Labs have been doing extensive experiments and trying different formulas to test out this meat. Looking towards the future we could possibly be eating this Lab-Grown meat. One of the controversial topics on the meat would be how would it taste. The fat in the meat will not exist and the taste could be totally different from conventional meat. On the topic of Lab-Grown meat, I think this would be a great idea. Hearing all these stories of how farmers treat their animals and the torture they go through is terrible. I believe if we start using the Lab meat, we will benefit from it. There be all sorts of vitamins and nutrients that conventional meat does not have. Maybe in the near future that’s all we will be eating and I don’t think I will have a problem with it.

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  42. Eireonna Little's avatar Eireonna Little

    Before reading this article, I have never had the thought of eating lab grown meat. I honestly think it seems way to good to be true.. Of course through reading the article the scientist say that the meat will be more healthier. But the entire time I was reading the article, I was thinking “where exactly would the scientist be getting the meat from? Wouldn’t they have to get the meat from the animals to perform the scientific deeds of making the meat what they say”? It seems pretty interesting but I am not so sure that I would try it personally. To be honest, it is a little weird to because meat is not to be grown, it is to be raised. Things like veggies are to be grown. Meat just is not something that I would prefer to eat even if they say it is more “healthy”. Maybe it is more healthy, but in order for you to make something healthy, you would have to take it from its original source and make all the changes. I think the problem with this is, there are other ways to make the conventional meat that we eat more healthy. One reason is; farmers who are raising the animals need to actually raise them and not give the hormones to make extra money because regardless, the meat is being brought. I think the conventional meat started to become unhealthy when people decided to treat animals wrong and not take car of them. Of course people think that its unhealthy, but thinking logically, where would scientist really get this meat from?

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  43. Gregory Boateng's avatar Gregory Boateng

    People all over the world have or still do eat meat. It is a common food and also a necessity for a healthy diet. There are benefits from eating lab meat. They say it is more healthier for you and you’re not hurting any animals in the process. But there are drawbacks. Lab meat might not have the same taste that animal meat will ever have. This means it could also lack the nutrients needed for your daily lifestyle. I believe that we are heading towards the right direction but it will take some time before it will sufficiently replace traditional meat.

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  44. Gina's avatar Gina

    In the article, Zaraska describes both the pros and cons of conventional and lab-based meat offer. I personally believe that lab-based meat could be a great advancement for us. It provides many benefits such as a reduced fat content. If the amount of fat in our meat is reduced, it will become healthier for us to consume. Zaraska also explains that we can replace saturated fats with protein-rich omega 3 fatty acids. I find that pretty amazing.

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  45. Riley's avatar Riley

    The article talks about the difference between lab-grown meat and actual meat. In my personal opinion I think it would be better for both animals and people to use lab grown meat. It is safer for us to eat and the animals aren’t harmed in the process. Also, it would avoid the chance of getting diseases that come with eating meat. The animals can pick up diseases from the farms they are on that become harmful to humans if eaten. Over all I agree that for a safer way to eat meat and a way to protect the animals, lab grown meat would be the best option.

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  46. Marta Zaraska claims that lab grown meat is good for our health, and much safer; by looking at the negatives, in cultured meat, that lab meat won’t have. We will have more control over what we eat, for example it would be sold with “no cholesterol”, “no saturated fat” and “no heme iron”, which will lower the amount of diseases and health problems. Whereas the supplement like omega-3 may helps lower risk of heart disease and arthritis, and more vitamin B12 will benefit us. In labs workers won’t deal with asthma, eye inflation, and chronic bronchitis, diseases that a CAFO worker might get. Raising meat in labs means no water contamination or air pollution, which also cause serious disease.The benefits presented by Marta Zaraska are really the goals of what lab meat will be like (if it will ever be sold), because right now it’s made using antibiotic. Even if we scientist will succeed in making this meat the way it’s described, we still don’t know the negatives, associated in making it right now. I’m still convinced that real meat is more healthy. Only time can show the results or lab meat, and then it would be easier to evaluate what is better.

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  47. Stanislav Lisovskiy's avatar Stanislav Lisovskiy

    Post believes that lab grown meat is healthier and better for the environment and the workers who tend to the animals. While i agree with the arguments of how lab grown meat can lower the risks of heart disease, cancer, and type-2 diabetes I cant really imagine myself eating meat that was not naturally made. Like they said in the article the “yuck factor” is greatly present. Scientists say that in 10-20 years this lab grown meat will be possible for maximum safety. Post said that the meat that was grown experimentally required antibiotics. I think that since the meat isn’t really living and doesn’t have an immune system will get infected easier than real meat. But if they create a fully sterile environment then antibiotics wont be needed like the article says, then i believe the meat will be safer than the one grown naturally. Overall i think this will be further thought about in the near future.

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  48. ChrisC's avatar ChrisC

    Marta Zaraska endeavors to make knowledge the mysterious world of lab grown meat easier to grasp by giving an overview of what the industry could mean for us as consumers. She begins by pointing out that the meat we are used to eating is not always healthy. Disease, fat content, and other factor can make the meat less than ideal for human consumption. She goes on the say that factors such as those can be easily controlled in a laboratory once lab-made meat more widely adopted. She makes a point to illustrate the many nutritional benefits of lab grown food. These include lower heart disease risk and diabetes, less fat and calories, controlled amounts of essential vitamins, just to name a few. She does not forget to point out that the elimination of Condensed Animal Feeding Operations could only lead to better health, humane conditions for farm animals, and positive environmental impacts. She finishes her pro-cultured-meat article by conceding that some people will likely have a very difficult time accepting the new food source due to the “yuck factor” as she calls it, or the tendency of humanity to at first avoid synthetic food sources until they are proven safe and effective. It is clear the Marta Zaraska would advocate for lab grown meat, though her article provides less information against it than for.

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  49. McC's avatar McC

    Throughout the text, Zaraska explains both the pros and cons of lab-grown and conventional meat. I personally believe that lab-based meat would be a great thing for us. You are not hurting the animals and you are eating a more healthier. Conventional meat are not exactly healthy for us and they can lead to higher risk of heart disease, diabetes and some kinds of cancer. I believe that lab-grown meat will be better health wise and better for the society because it would eliminate the health hazards and the pollution that comes from farms, and animals will not be hurt during the process.

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  50. chase's avatar chase

    In this article, Zaraska discusses two different types of meat: Lab grown and conventional. She insists that lab grown meat is the better option because it is healthier yet still can give someone E. Coli, just like conventional meat. The idea of lab-grown meat does not intrigue me compared to conventional meat, whatsoever.
    Based on knowledge I had previous to reading this article, I know that there has been an increase of health risks/issues, obesity, and diabetes in the past so many years because of the meat society has inhaled. The increase has been caused by lab-grown meat, and meat that has been injected with hormones. So the whole idea of lab-grown meat doesn’t have me jumping for joy or tweeting #savethecows to get “healthier” and “safer” meat.

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