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?"
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
They Say I Blog 
When reading the article about lab grown meat, I knew something like this does exist but i had no idea it existed to this level. What the author tries to emphasize that positive about this process is the fact that it will improve the overall health of the people or population. What the lab meat will be able to do is cause less obesity or diminish the causes of diabetes, heart diseases, cancer and other heart related diseases. To produce this meat it will be a lot easier cheaper and a lot more healthier. And those poor animals that we always kill, it will decrease the amount of animal slaughter. Even with all these good facts about the lab grown meat my position is against it. When I eat i want to eat real fresh meat that I know came from an animal not from some scientific lab where who knows what was added to this meat. It isn’t the same meat it is fake meat that will also have negative traits to it.
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In Marta Zaraska’s article titled, “Is Lab-Grown Meat Good For Us?”, she discussed the many health issues involved with conventional meats, and the lessened disease and infection risks that would come with the supplementation of lab-grown meats. Zaraska mentions multiple studies that link conventional meat to heart disease, diabetes, infections such as salmonella, and bacteria such as e-coli. She explains the decreased health risks that would come with lab-grown meat, as the meat of animals put through “confined animal feeding operations”, which yield many health risks and infections, wouldn’t be distributed. She recognizes the serious health risks that are conceived from conventional meats, and supports her position with multiple studies and resembling positions. I agree with Zaraska’s advocacy for lab-grown meat. Although some may oppose the idea of meat developed in laboratories due to lack of knowledge of what the meat contains, I’d rather be at a lesser risk for certain diseases and infections. Not knowing entirely what’s in your food is a small price to pay for increased safety.
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The way i see it, Most of the things we eat today has a chance of harming us. Take chocolate for example, eat too much and you’ll die. They key to avoid harm from these foods isn’t to create them in some lab to make the “perfect meat”, but its simply moderation. This article talks of the numerous harmful things found in everyday meats, that are eaten around the world. Everyday. If it was truly as bad as they say, wouldn’t more people have problems resulting from the meat? Wouldn’t there be more deaths and illness? Mankind has been eating natural meat since its existence, why all of a sudden should this be changed? What should really be done is to treat the cows and pigs and such better, no hormones or anything like that. They should live on a range, not contained in a small stall. The scientists of the world shouldnt be focused on creating artificial meat, they should work on more important matters, like cures for illness’s.
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In the article, Marta Zaraska writes about how scientists have created a new way to make meat in a lab. The sound of meat in a lab, originally did not sound appetizing to me at all but after reading this article, I have reason to think that there maybe be benefits to this alternative. Zaraska emphasizes that lab-grown meat is healthier, due to the control the scientists have in how much fat or vitamins are in the meat. In contrast, she admits that “there remains the problem of the ‘yuck factor’”. When people think of lab-grown meat made in test tubes, it doesn’t exactly sound appealing. Personally, I would opt for the cow over the lab-grown burger. The overall component of freshness would be the basis of that decision.
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Although there are pros and cons to both conventional meat and lab grown meat, Zaraska seems to favor lab grown meat, as will many other people. Lab grown meat seems healthier in general, meaning the contents, production, and effects the process causes compared to conventional meat. Zaraska admits that there are iron benefits from meat like fish, but she also says that it can also cause cancer. Lab grown meat will decrease heart disease caused by meat, along with keeping areas clean where farm animals spread disease, and we will have more control over what goes into our food and our bodies. Switching from conventional meat to lab grown meat is portrayed as a positive and smart change that is bound to be made.
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In the article “Is Lab-Grown Meat Good For Us?”, Marta Zaraska discusses the pros and cons of lab-grown meat. I agree with the statement that lab-grown meat is healthier for us than conventional meat, but I’m still not completely sold to the idea of processed meat. The article goes into great detail about the lack of health problems lab-grown meat would cause, such as a lower chance of getting heart disease, diabetes and cancer. These low chances of getting health problems would be a great thing especially for people who are worried about them, but still want to eat meat. I have to wonder though, would the meat taste like conventional meat or taste completely different? Are there many health problems that lab-grown meats could cause and we just don’t know about yet? Another pro of lab-grown meat is the replacement of CAFOs. Many animals are confined and suffering in these CAFOs. The dirty and disease-filled farms are incredibly harmful to both the animals and the workers, and it’s a shame that we put them through that. Overall, I feel like the pros of lab-grown meat outweigh the cons.
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Zaraska introduced many interesting aspects pertaining to the sizzling debate between lab-grown meats and the typical, conventional meat. Prior to this article, I had little to no knowledge on the ability to create meats in a lab,as I presume many don’t. So reading this article posed many controversies about the debate that I hadn’t been aware of before. The main differences between the two types of meat is that lab-grown meat is deemed healthier in comparison to conventional meat. I’ve only ever known of conventional meat, from an animal that has been processed and cooked with all that is in it. Being able to create a type of meat in a lab is foreign to me, as it is foreign to others. I however, seem to agree with Zaraska’s view on preferring lab grown meats as better for us. She expresses her facts to prove that lab-grown meat is not only better for us, humans, but for our environment, and for the animals themselves. On the one hand, I have to agree with her, as she makes it seem that there are no cons to this type of meat. In essence, the health cons with consuming lab-grown meat are much less severe than the health cons with consuming conventional meat. It’s a win-win situation as it is better for you, the environment, and even the animals. On the other hand, however, I see where some people may be against this idea and would rather favor conventional meats. Technology is constantly evolving and getting more and more advanced, but this idea of making our own meats seems kind of radical. What has the world come to that we are now deciding to go against our normal ways of eating real meat to eating genetically modified food. It’s unnatural and not right some may say. Since people have been on this planet, they have consumed meat they’ve needed to survive and they’ve survived just fine. People also may be skeptical to this idea because it’s very new, they’re is little data to see how this type of meat may affect us in the future, while everyone knows how conventional meat affects us. I understand where they are coming from, but the world is constantly changing, and we have to choose whether to change with it or to stay with our old ways. Its all a personal choice, and I personally choose to see where these lab-grown meats could lead us to.
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They celebrate the fact that lab frown meats will be better for us in the article. The article states that “If Post is right, and in 10 to 20 years we have lab-grown burgers and sausages on the shelves of our supermarkets, they may well come in “no cholesterol” and “no saturated fats” varieties”. Although i just read about all the health benefits that could come with the lab frowns meats and how they could potential be better for people I don’t think it is a good idea to start artificially producing things that are made in nature. There will be problems and concerns that we don’t even know about yet or man made errors that come up that could be very dangerous for people. Certain foods like fruit, vegetables and meats shouldn’t be “made” they should be grown naturally. If we start growing meats in labs soon enough they’re going to want to start making fake fruits and vegetables too that are “better” for us. I can see how the health benefits re good but I don’t think we should mess with the natural process’s.
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The major difference between the conventional meat and lab grown meat would be the health effects. Lab grown meat has no saturated fat, no heme iron, and no growth hormone. Conventional meat has all of that, and it not good for us to eat. Saturated fatty foods can cause diabetes and cardiovascular disease. “If eating fat-free cultured meat would also mean a drop in calorie intake, then there would be an added decrease in diabetes risk,” Says Zaraska.
There possibly has to be another way for us to have a “healthier” meat for us to eat instead of basically “test tube” meat! Is that the best we can do? Why do animals have to be drugged to grow in order for us to eat it? Is that what they did in the old days? No, didn’t think so. Just because this new science meat may be better for us, it doesn’t mean it’s the right way to go. I get that diabetes and obesity is a huge problem in the United States, but lab grown meat? Really? We need to find a better way of having our meat “healthier”, and soon. Science isn’t going to solve all our our problems.
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Zaraska expands on his thoughts about lab-grown meat conventional, real meat. I would have never guessed that processed meat would be good for you, let alone better than conventional meat. Zaraska gives a lot of facts and good information to prove his ideas and beliefs on the topic. He explains how lab-grown meat can decrease diseases like diabetes and heart disease. He says that animals carry disease on farms that could be passed over to humans, and is not sterile most of the time. The only negative side of this, in my opinion, is that we could potentially take things too far and have an unnatural society. Overall, these theories/facts are very interesting and could help solve a lot of problems and I believe that lab-grown meat seems to be the healthier option.
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Zaraska elaborates a number of differences between conventional and lab-grown meat.She highlights health issues caused by conventional meats argues that many health problems could potentially be eliminated with lab grown meats. She acknowledges that conventional meat brings many risk factors. In the words of Zaraska one of this views main proponents , “Both the iron and the fat content of the meat are likely relevant risks for this [type 2 diabetes] disease,”. Additionally, she asserts that replacing CAFOs with labs would “replace dirt with sterility”. She elaborates on the many potential positive effects of lab grown meat. She emphasizes, that lab grown meat can lower the risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and many cancers. She touches lightly on the possible negative effects of lab grown meats by reporting that there is no telling what eating stem cells could do to our health. However, she then provides information from a food technician, Peter Verstrate that endorses the probable safety of these lab grown meats and consuming stem cells.
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In the article “Is Lab-Grown Meat good for Us?”, Marta Zaraska explains to the reader that scientists have developed a way to to create meat in labs instead of having it grow the natural way on animals. She advocates the many benefits of growing meat in labs and goes into detail about how Confined Animal Feeding Operations are unsanitary establishments that have multiple negative effects on the health of the people in the surrounding vicinity. The article celebrates the multiple health benefits that lab grown meat could have on its’ consumers, such as the reduced risk of heart disease. The author grounds the article by explaining the common attitude toward lab grown meat, that it is gross.
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A recent popular topic of discussion has been the choice of conventional meat versus lab-grown meat. Many scientists have questioned the actual health benefit of conventional meat from animals, but others have also rejected the alternative idea of lab-grown meats. Extensive research has shown, and many people express the concern of, the negative effects that conventional meat has on our bodies and long term health. There are many products in conventional meats, such as heme-iron, and saturated fats that can raise the risk of heart disease. One other main concern is that some scientists have concerns about animals being raised for meat are placed in CAFOs (confined animal feeding operation). There are many cons found in these operations. For starters, it is animal cruelty, and second, they are not very safe places for humans. Pollution creates unsanitary living conditions for nearby towns and feces from the animals creates diseases. On the other side of the spectrum, there are people that do not trust the creation of meat by stem cells, or what eating them will do to our long term health. In my opinion however, I think that there are more pros to eating lab-grown meat than there are to eating conventional animal meat. Like calcium and other things are added to orange juice, you will be able to do the same to lab grown meat. You will be able to regulate the contents easier like get rid of the saturated fats. Also, with lab-grown meat there will be no CAFOs, thus making them a more sanitary option for people.
…and just a thought for any vegetarians out there… would you eat lab-grown meat since it is not directly from the animal?
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In the article Zaraska talks about the benefits towards eating lab grown meats,and the negatives to eating real meat. Until reading the article I never thought about lab grown meats and how they can affect our health. Zaraska explains that lab meats are healthier and can cause less diseases. Also you are not hurting animals in the process. Personally I would not try lab meats,there is something a bit concerning about eating lab grown food and although a few people might try it, generally I think that most would avoid it simply because it was grown in a lab and people would be worried that it could potentially be dangerous to themselves.I have always loved and enjoyed real meat, so I don’t think I will change my eating habits.
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In her article “Is Lab-Grown Meat Good For Us?” Marta Zaraska strongly advocates for lab-grown meat, claiming that it will not only reduce the risks of diseases, but also help the farm animals and the workers. She insists that lab-grown meat is a lot better than natural meat, that isn’t really natural anymore because most of these animals are given hormones in order to grow faster and therefore make more of a profit. I also agree that lab-grown meat would be for the better. If natural meat really does have all those health risks, then I feel that lab-grown meat would be much better. Sure not everyone will be open to this idea, but they can have an option of buying the natural meat or the lab-grown. Not only does it help our health, it also helps the 56 billion farm animals that are mistreated, abused and slaughtered each year, which is 3000 per second. In addition, it will the workers who are exposed to the terrible environments these animals are put in. If there are so many benefits that comes from lab-grown meat, then I don’t see why we shouldn’t try this out.
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In this article the author, Marta Zaraska, tells her audience about lab grown meat. This is something i have heard very little information about in the past. This article seems very pro lab grown meat. She advocates the consumption of this meat rather than the normal farm raised meat. The article doesn’t really point out any downsides of eating this type of meat, if there even are any. The health risks that come with normal meat does seem like a lot, but I think it really just depends on how much you consume. If you watch your portions there should be no problem with meat from a cow. I personally think it should be the choice of the consumer as to which type of meat they themselves would like to eat, and while I think the option of lab grown meat is promising, I do think it would take a while for the general public to totally be on-board with the idea of eating that instead of normal farm meat.
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Zaraska advocates the idea of replacing conventional meat with lab-grown meat. She strongly believes the meat that we get from confined animal feeding operations has caused heart disease, Salmonella, Listeria Infections, E, Coli, and a bunch of other infections, diseases, and illnesses, and in some cases certain types of cancer. She reaffirms that lab-grown meat can be made without the harmful pesticides, lowered/no cholesterol, fat free, etc. She verifies that this lab-grown meat will immediately reduce the risk of diabetes (Type 2 anyway). I agree with Zaraska on the subject that conventional meat is in fact extremely terrible for our health, and in so many different ways. However, I contradict the idea of lab-grown meat because it is the meat itself that I believe our bodies do not need. I question is lab-grown meat even somewhat natural? It does not seem like it. I believe everything we need in life is naturally given to us from the planet itself. We do not need to create some type of healthier meat substitute due to the unhealthy factors that come with meat and its production; what we need is to eliminate meat from our diet to avoid all unnecessary issues we caused in the first place.
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Within the article “Is Lab-Grown Meat Good for Us?”, Marta Zaraska observes various reasons as to why meat created in a lab would have both benefits and drawbacks over the conventional meat that most of us are consuming today. While these drawbacks are stated, the article mainly focuses on the benefits. Zaraska uses the words of food experts to assert how these benefits include healthier fatty acid consumption, no growth hormones, increased vitamin amounts, and less spreading of disease. The few drawbacks she did not deny included the fact that it has nothing but pure muscle tissue in it, that heme-iron (which lab grown meat may not contain) is actually beneficial to consume, and that the overall idea of “lab-grown meat” is a strange concept. From all this information, even with all the benefits that she claimed, I still don’t believe I’d ever find myself in a position where I would choose lab-grown meat over conventional meat. I am not the biggest meat fan to begin with. I already find the idea of real ground meat not too appealing. I certainly know that if I already do not meat that has only been ground up, that I will not enjoy meat grown in a lab. Even though there are nutritional benefits to this lab meat, the idea of it is what makes it off putting. When eaten in moderation, prepared properly and with other healthy ingredients, conventional meat isn’t an unhealthy food. It provides us with many nutrients that we need. Lab meat just does not seem necessary.
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In the article about lab grown meats, the the writer advocates the possible new fad of synthetic, lab grown meat. Zaraska says that it has many pros. Such as the possibility of having a cholesterol content of 0%, and it could prevent some diseases. Zaraska celebrates the fact that some day, synthetic meat will most likely be what we see every day in our grocery stores and butcher shops. He does admit though, that it could potentially hold chemicals if processed incorrectly that could lead to cancer and other dangerous diseases.
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We should decide if we should have lab grown meats in our supermarket shelves. Even though that lots of people think that processed foods are bad for you, I never thought that they can be safer than fresh food.Even thought that lots of people raise their own livestock I think that it is safer if it’s fresh from home. Because you never know they could lie to you and say its good for you but they could add chemicals to the processed food.
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When it comes to the topic of lab-grown meat, most of us will readily agree that the meat grown in labs would not be good for our health. Where this argument usually ends, however, is on the question of would we rather eat meat not knowing what’s in it and what health problems it can cause us or would we rather eat meat grown in a lab that is more clean than the actual meat that we eat? Whereas some are convinced that meat grown in a lab is not good for us, others maintain that it is and have made up their mind because there are less health risk factors for meat grown in a lab as well as less infections and bacteria that enter our body. In conclusion, then, as I suggested earlier, defenders of non lab-grown meat can’t have it both ways. Their assertion that they would rather eat meat that isn’t grown in a lab is contradicted by their claim that it’s less healthier than lab-grown meat.
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Would I ever eat lab made meat, my answer is no,
I would rather eat a natural born meat, because with natural born cow I get fresh sirloins or in a pig fresh pulled pork sandwiches. Yeah you with lab made meats you control meats fat content but fat means flavor and most countries its tradition for fat to be in those dishes. The factor in my decision with the nutritional content is the fat, in the food world fat is everything, with fat you can use it for flavoring dishes, it also ad’s texture in the dish. Well it’s obvious in lab made meats they (scientists) want to control fat content but really they are doing more harm than good. Lab meats alone they could cause cancer, Type 2 Diabetes and heart disease. In countries heart, liver, intestines and other obscure parts of the animals are tradition. I guess also that freshness takes a big part in to the factor in where the animals were raised. I’m a hunter, I hunt deer and know that’s different form a cow or a pig unless if it was a wild boar. The meat I get from the deer is fresh not lab made; because the meat harvested the deer is all natural. Unlike a cow that was made in a lab with Petri dish. The main factors for me are the freshness, fat, and other important nurturance which is used to strengthen the muscles for better fitness in the human body.
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Lab grown meat? Eww! Just the thought of it grosses me out… Zaraska emphasizes the fact that lab grown meat is a better option for people because it will reduce sickness and disease. Can you think about eating meat that was made in a lab? A lab that contains so much chemicals so your meat can be contaminated. There’s a way you’ll get sick… I believe that you should be able to butcher your own meat (my religion does this and I been fine). Meat is part of your food pyramid. Having something made in a lab for you is like a taking the easy way out. You’re suppose to have fat and other things in your meat because your body needs it; just like your body needing bad bacteria so the good bacteria can fight it.
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In Arons article “Why Does Fancy Food Makes Us Mad?,” she discusses how fast food restaurants are advertising their food as healthy foods. According to Arons, “negative coverage media and criticism from health-care professionals, has undergone an image makeover, which includes TV commercials….” In other words, Arons points out that fast food restaurants are trying to manipulate their unhealthy foods as healthy meals. Arons uses the example of Taco bell is changing its motto from “Think Outside the Bun” to a phrase as “Live Mas”. How are you supposed to “Live Mas” when you eat fried foods that can give you health risks. My own view is fast food restaurants should not advertise false phrases just for critics since we all make fast food stops whether we like it or not.
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In this article I believe Zinczenko is targeting the general public and the makers of this new dessert item on the mcdonald’s menu. He talks about how many calories and how the little desert is not healthy for you at all. Daniel Coudreaut who is the senior director of the Mcdonald’s company, states “that he didn’t “see anything on the McDonald’s menu that’s unhealthy.” In my opinion the statement Coudreaut made to press was completely invalid. There are many facts and studies done on the products in this chain restaurant to prove that his statement was false. Aron explains how where you come from and what you eat can base your opinion of how you feel about this new food item on the menu. I personally have not eaten fast food in over a year, my new decision has made my parents eating habits a little bit better. My family had not eaten fast food much but it’s better for you not to.
Ann Born discusses how being a mom and working in the NFL isn’t a big deal. the point of this article is to show that just because someone is a mother and has one or more children that they are able to still go to work other than just taking care of said child. on the contrary some may disagree and say that the NFL is no place for a woman to reff ; that the mother should be home with her baby or newborn child. I believe that if a woman wants to have a specific job and she works her way to do it ; a woman should be able to do any job she wants.
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Zinczenko argues that people have a hard time to find food that is healthy and cheap all at the same time. It does seem that way at times, most people just want everything to be done then and there and to fill that craving. They want their food as fast as possible, hence the term fast food. It’s more of a convenience issue than a price issue, for example a burger might cost 5 dollars at Five Guys but a much larger amount of ingredients at say Costco may end up around 50 dollars. But, with that you could make many more servings than just one, although time consuming. I feel that Zinczenko does make a good point, but it’s really a convenience problem rather than cost.
Rather than being a medical problem obesity is more cultural, we are raised up thinking, ”Hey if I want a quick bite to eat I can just go to some fast food restaurant.” With this in mind would it be wrong to say that we have that idea in all of our minds? Now not to push everything on parents we ourselves see it as a cheap effective way of obtaining food, although not always healthy.
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Lab grown meat? Eww! Just the thought of it grosses me out… Zaraska emphasizes the fact that lab grown meat is a better option for people because it will reduce sickness and disease. Can you think about eating meat that was made in a lab? A lab that contains so much chemicals so your meat can be contaminated. There’s a way you’ll get sick… I believe that you should be able to butcher your own meat (my religion does this and I been fine). Meat is part of your food pyramid. Having something made in a lab for you is like a taking the easy way out. You’re suppose to have fat and other things in your meat because your body needs it; just like your body needing bad bacteria so the good bacteria can fight it.
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In this article, Zaraska argues the fact whether lab grown meat is better for us than conventional meat. She celebrates the fact that lab grown meats are much better for us and safer. Researchers have said that they can control lab grown meat more and decide on what to take out and what to put in. For example Joan Salge Blake says, “If they are going to make their own fats, they will be able to replace the saturated fatty acids with, for example, omega-3 fatty acids.” She believes that by taking out fat from the meat and putting in other ingredients this will make the meat healthier and safer for people to eat. Zaraska also argues that animal meat is even worse than lab grown meat. She says, “Nowadays, most animals raised for meat are raised in CAFOs…CAFOs not only lead to animal suffering, but also dirt, drugs, and disease.” The animals being raised for us to eat after have all sorts of diseases that can influence our health. It’s a big debate on which meat is healthier and better for you.
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When I saw the title of this article, I cringed at the thought of man made meats. I imagined a flavorless, rubbery pile of recycled who knows what, but once I read the article, my outlook on this new development in food science changed. There are clearly many benefits to lab grown meat; scientist would be able to tailor meat to the health needs of the consumer, and after enough time, I’m sure that they would be able to create the perfect meat with the ideal balance of nutrients. This is something that could aid in hunger relief around the world once we are able to produce large amounts at a lower price than it would cost to raise live animals as well. Also, because of the low risk of contamination, there would be much less worry about food safety and less outbreaks of foodborne illness. I agree that the benefits of man-made meats outweigh the negatives, and I hope that lab-grown meats continue to improve in quality and that eventually it becomes the meat of choice for many people across the world, for it has the potential to improve the health of people in both first and third world countries.
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One thing that comes to mind when thinking of test tube meats as a source of food, is the idea of converting to vegetarianism. Has the world seriously become this lazy? The solution to unhealthy conditions of factory farms should not be fake food; instead, we need to be focused on cleaning those farms up! It’s time to stop complaining about animal cruelty and obesity, and time to start doing something about them rather than taking the easy way out. Okay, so conventional meat has saturated fat, and cholesterol. So don’t over eat! Instead of spending tons of money so scientists can experiment with “Franken meat”, how about spending some money on improving this planet naturally? We don’t need to be giving animals antibiotics to beef them up, it sounds pretty sick to me. Rather than plucking every last blade of grass to build a Mcdonalds at every corner, we should be saving some room for free range farms where animals and crops can be healthily raised.
The fact that lab raised meat may lower the risk of heart disease, obesity, and diabetes means nothing to me. Why? Because if the USDA would just step up and change farming standards by no longer injecting animals with chemicals or forcing them to spend their lives in cages, then there wouldn’t be all these health risks in conventional meat! It’s crazy to think that the people in control have allowed agriculture to become such a disgrace. It’s even more crazy that the USDA is too incompetent to clean up their mess. I get that technology can be good, but using it to make freak meats is weird. And unnecessary. I hope it doesn’t come to it, but if lab meats are the future I will not be one of the test rats eating it.
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For years was a vegan and didn’t have any desire to eat meat because of religious beliefs. I gradually came back to eating meat, however my intake is very limited. I’m not surprised that scientist are looking for way to produce artificial meat. We already have a issue with processed meat and it’s been said that processed foods contributes to illness. My question is. Would the artificial meat be any different?
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I agree with the fact that we should grow lab-grown meats, to an extent. Lab-grown meat sounds way more healthier than what American’s are filling their bodies up with today, but I feel as if technology is a bad way for people to see what is good food and bad food. I think that people should decide by themselves what good for their body and what isn’t. What if technology isn’t always as accurate as people see, and the lab-grown meat could have negative affects on the human body?
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I think the lab-grown meats are the way to go for desperate times. It is the market alternative to conventional meats. Zaraska doesn’t consider how people will transition from conventional meats to lab-grown meats, but that is a marginal issue. Lab-grown meats is also a very divisive issue regarding environmentalism. Some of the people will see this as a way of protecting nature, but some will perceive this development as another way of disconnecting from nature.
I would still prefer to consume conventional meat over lab-grown meats because humans evolved eating conventional meat. The exposure to diseases and pests built up our immune systems. Once we exclusively consume lab-grown meats free of any bacteria, then the future generations’ bodies will be unequipped in regard to fighting off disease.
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In this article, Zaraska argues in favor of the processed foods, arguing that they can in fact be healthier for people to consume than the natural counterparts. With the right work, she argues, the meat can provide all of the essential nutrients that natural meat does, and can additionally substitute healthier alternatives for the bad nutrients in meat. For example, Zaraska discusses the alternative of the type of fat in a meat, claiming that scientists can use Omega 3s instead of saturated fatty acids. I think that this is an interesting way to look at this debate and it is a compelling argument. If health is the main argument against processed foods, then what do people have to say if the foods are actually healthier?
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At first, I found the idea of meat that could be much healthier, a good option. Like the article said, it could be made to contain less saturated fats, causing a decrease in diabetes and other disease. But then, as I started to actually think about it I realized they were making a huge mistake. Instead of putting thousands of dollars into fake meat in test tubes, we should place an emphasis on free range farming. Let the animals roam, eat , be happy. Dont lock animals in a cage for six months and expect them to be the healthiest thing in the world.
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This article discusses how lab grown foods can be better for us than natural meat. Well, the issues presented with “natural meat” is that it is usually not 100% natural. It is manipulated, producers do what they can to get the biggest bang for their buck. Is lab grown meat really that much different from the processed meat on our dinner tables? There is a risk for “heart disease, diabetes, and some kinds of cancer” because of the high intake of processed meats. If producers took the steps needed to make their meat healthy for their consumers, rather than more beneficial for their wallets, these issues would not be on the table. If people are disgusted by the idea of McDonald’s processed burgers, what makes “lab-grown burgers” sound so appealing?
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In a world of such crazy new inventions, it is not surprising to see that we’ve come to lab-grown meats. Before reading this article, I’m sure many people were skeptical about consuming meat made by scientists, but after reading it, it sounds like a healthy new alternative to everyone’s diets. With our society so heavily involved in a new health craze, it surely would satisfy vegans(people who don’t consume meat, dairy, gluten, etc) and everyone who is trying to eat healthier. These meats would provide the needed vitamins, while not overshooting in fats and carbohydrates, making it 10 times easier for people to consume a healthy proportion of meats without upsetting or harming animals.
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The facts are there. In an unexpected turn of events, we find out that lab grown meat is healthier than conventional meat? It’s hard the argue, Zaraska presents the facts clear as day, and the facts prove that lab grown meat is more beneficial. Honestly, knowing that scientists, who have vigorously studied this type of thing, are handling this is comforting. Think about it. They are taking meat and making sure it is safe. They have the ability to stuff it with countless nutritious values. It’s like build-a-bear but with meat. You can do whatever you want, and what they want is to make the meat as healthy as possible. And it’s working. However, this is a method that I believe should be used very lightly and in moderation. Conventional meat has the potential to be healthy if handled correctly. Keeping the animals in better conditions will ultimately result in meat with much better quality. The only issue is enforcing and maintaining good care for these animals.
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In the article “Is Lab-Grown Meat Good for Us?” Marta Zaraska talks about lab-grown and conventional meat, and she explains why lab grown meat might be better for our health. Zaraska seemed to support the idea of lab-grown meat throughout the article. She pointed out some issues with conventional meat and explained how those problems can be resolved with lab-grown meat. The three points Zaraska made to support lab grown meat were health risks in conventional meat, sterile labs versus dirty farms, and antibiotics.
The main health issues Zaraska talked about were diabetes and heart disease. Conventional meat contains heme iron and saturated fat; studies show that eating these two components can increase the consumer’s risk of being diagnosed with diabetes. Lab-grown meats might come in “no heme iron” and “low-fat”, which can reduce risks of getting diabetes from meat consumption. The manufacturers may even make meats that do not contain L-carnitine because it can increase the risk of getting heart disease.
Zaraska also explains how sterile labs can benefit our health. Confined animal feeding operations, or CAFOs, produce a lot of waste and can stress the animals out. This waste can contaminate a nearby community’s drinking water and can cause miscarriages, some cancers, congenital malformations, and blue-baby syndrome. Zaraska said, “When the animals are stressed (which happens often in CAFOs and slaughterhouses), they shed large amounts of this bacteria into their feces, which can contaminate the meat”. This contamination can cause Salmonella infections if the meat is undercooked or not handled properly.
According to Zaraska, sterile labs also means antibiotics would not be needed to grow meat. At the moment, antibiotics are used for lab-grown meats, but when production is scaled up, antibiotics would not be needed in closed sterile systems. With lab-grown meat, people would not have to worry about diseases like the swine flu emerging. Many of those diseases appear because of intensive farming, where medications are commonly used on animals.
Overall, lab-grown meat does sound like it can benefit people more than conventional meat because it can reduce many health risks. Although Zaraska does a great job persuading the reader lab-grown meat is better than conventional meat, I personally would not try it. It just sounds gross when I think about meat growing in a test tube or a petri dish. Another thing that concerns me is the taste. This article talks about the nutrients and where the meat is grown, but nothing is mentioned about lab-grown meat tasting the same as conventional meat. It would be a shame if lab-grown meat has all these great benefits but ends up tasting awful.
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In the article, “Is Lab-Grown Meat Good For Us?” by Marta Zaraska, makes the argument that in the future, lab grown meat may actually be more benefitical than organic meat that we eat today, a concept I do not wholly agree with. In the article, Zaraska discusses the benefits of beef made in the lab as compared to beef which we consume from cows. Because lab-grown beef is made by scientists, humans will be able to control the elements found in beef and change or substitute them for healthies substances. By changing these potentially harmful substances in the chemichal makeup of beef, humans will be able to avoid many of the diseases which arise from eating excessive amounts of red meat, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes. Although technology has not yet advanced enough to create this sort of beef, scientists are creating prototypes and researching into this area. There is no doubt that lab-grown beef may be a healthier option. However, I disagree with the idea of eating lab grown beef as opposed to eating regular meat. If being healthy and avoiding diseases are truly the motives here, then we should focus on encouraging people to eat less meat rather than telling them to eat a different sort of meat. Eating less meat in general would be beneficial to all aspects of society. People would be healthier, easing the stress on the healthcare system. We would not have to raise as many cows, which would mean less trees would be cut down for cattle-raising and less nitrogen would be released into the atmosphere, decreasing pollution. If we focus on feeding people lab-grown beef, there will always be people who refuse to eat things that have been synthetically made, such as the group of people against GMO’s, or genetically modified organisms. There will also be people who prefer the taste of real meat over the taste of lab-made meat. I do not deny that lab-made meat has significant benefits. However, if we are to solve the problem of beef-induced diseases, I believe that we have an easier and less costly solution, and that is simply eating less beef. We would not have to spend costly time and money making a beef substitute and everyone can be happy eating tasty, organic meat, just smaller amounts of it.
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There are couple of differences between conventional meat and lab-grown meat. In lab grown meat, we can control what’s inside, for example fat content, unlike conventional meat. Conventional meat can lead to health issues that can be prevented by switching to lab-grown grown meat. For example, heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. The author, Marta Zaraska’s own position about lab-grown meats is that they are a better alternative to conventional meat since she mostly cover the positives about lab-grown meat and the negatives about conventional meat. Personally, I wouldn’t consider eating lab-grown meat because eating conventional meat is natural and we were meant to eat it. We’ve been eating animals since the beginning of mankind. Lab-grown meat can also get infections, not just conventional meat.
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Based on what I’ve read in this article, I would agree with Marta Zaraska on the potential benefits of eating lab grown meat rather than conventional meat. Many of the current conventional ways of getting meat is through large meat processing companies and often inhumane treatment of animals that are bred only to feed millions of Americans. One point that Marta brings up about Lab-Grown meat is that scientists would be able to modify the contents of the meat however they wanted. Scientists could be able to modify saturated fats and replace them with omega-3 fatty acids, which “are a healthier option—they reduce inflammation and may help lower risk of heart disease and arthritis.” Being able to manipulate and improve the quality and health of the meat can be incredibly beneficial for the health and safety of all who consume them. Moving towards lab-grown meat and creating an alternate source of protein and food we all enjoy would also protect and save millions of animal lives. Conventional meat is produced through the slaughtering of millions of animals that are kept in factories, bred only to be killed for consumption. If lab-grown meat becomes the conventional source of meat and protein, factories would then have no use or reason to continue the inhumane treatment of animals. Another great point that Marta brings up is that transitioning from CAFOs to Lab-grown meat would also hugely benefit the environment. The conventional way of getting meat results in countless amounts of waste, which includes animal carcasses and animal waste (bodily fluids). Transitioning would also decrease the amount of land and efforts that were needed to raise and fence the animals, which would hopefully be used for other purposes, such as agriculture or more housing. This article brings into the light of new technologies and ways to improve not only the health and quality of life for people, but also for animals. We should begin transitioning towards Lab-Grown meat and away from the damaging and cruel slaughtering of animal life to improve food quality, the treatment of animals, and the environment.
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