With increased technological advancement, new things have continued to emerge. This has seen a man going to the moon, better transportation methods, and medical advancement among others. However, one field that is now on everyone’s mouth is the invention of lab-grown meat also referred to as cell-based meat, cultured meat or clean meat. This is a type of meat that is grown from an actual animal’s cells. Even though it is still under development and might take years for it to hit supermarkets and butcheries, its potential to radically change the animal agriculture sectors has started stirring up tensions. This has seen various states such as Missouri passing laws aimed at prohibiting anything “not derived from harvested production poultry or livestock: from being sold and marketed as “meat” in the state. Nonetheless, the advocates for lab-grown meat have rallied against the laws citing that it is an infringement of their rights. However, the looming question remains if one has the ability to grow meat in a lab and satisfy the world’s ever-growing meat demands and solve all the animal welfare problems and environmental impacts why wouldn’t you? Therefore, this term paper aims to focus on the moral issues brought about by lab-based meat including its pros and cons. Over the years, the eating of animals has always raised two moral problems; is its wrong for a human being to raise an animal and later kill eat for meat and whether using humanely means in killing the animal makes it ethical (Sharma et al., 2015)? People all the globe have come to recognize the fact that animal has rights and thus an indication that killing them is wrong. An animal raised for consumption is not being respected for it instead is being used for others and in ethics, this is considered as treating the animal as a means to human ends and not as an end in itself. Irrespective of how humanely one kill an animal, it remains morally wrong. However, through cultured meat, this makes it a moot point as there is no killing or slaughtering of the animal. Lab-grown meat is grown from extracting cells from an animal, in this case, the stem cells or myoblast cells (Sharma et al., 2015). The cells are then grown inside a bioreactor whereby it has a nourishing environment that will allow the cells to multiply and become muscles. The method used in growing lab-grown meat is referred to as scaffolding (Datar & Betti, 2010). Once the muscle fully grows, it is harvested and ready for consumption.
Additionally, lab-grown meat is safe for human consumption for it does not have any form of ill side-effects on consumers . Compared to the traditional type of meat, it is at infected by various forms of bacteria such as listeria, E-coli, campylobacter among others (Sharma et al., 2015). Conventional meat also has a higher chance of having toxoplasmosis and once consumed, it can bring about adverse health effects. Furthermore, antibiotics are used in traditional meat production due to the poor handling of livestock and unsanitary living conditions. As a result, there has been an increased misuse of antibiotics by farmers and this has formed a foundation for the development of antibiotic resistance. This leads to the development of antibiotic-resistant strains that will affect the quality of conventional meat and once consumed by people, can bring out adverse health effects (Sharma et al., 2015 ). However lab-grown meat does not require any form of antibiotics injections for its grown in a clean and safe environment.
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One of the most significant contributors to environmental degradation is meat production. Presently, livestock cultivated for meat production degrades the environment more than the world transportation industry (FAO, 2006). The production produces 18% of all global GHG emissions, consumes 8% of the global freshwater and uses 30% of the global habitable terrestrial land (FAO, 2006). Furthermore, it is also the cause of increased wildlife habitat deforestation and degradation. The adverse outcomes resulting from livestock production are excepted to increase as the global meat demand continues to increase and is bound by a double by 2050 due to an increased global population (FAO,2006). However, one of the best solutions for preventing increased environmental degradation resulting from livestock production is the use of lab meat. In order to determine the effects of lab-grown meat on the environment, a study by Tuomisto and Teixeira de Matos (2011) on the implications of lab meat in GHG emissions, land use and water use in Thailand, California, and Spain. The study was able to find out that lab meat production emits minimal greenhouse gasses by about 40% less as compared to traditional meat in Europe (Tuomisto & Teixeira de Matos, 2011). The emissions resulting from lab meat production results from the use of electricity and fuels using the production process. However, with the implementation of renewable energy sources, this can be reduced dramatically. In case of the livestock and poultry production, the limiting of greenhouse gases is not possible for a considerable amount of the GHGs is emitted from the nitrous oxide found in soils, ruminant’s enteric fermentation and methane from manure. Moreover, 57% of all the GHG are methane gases while nitrous oxide accounts for 20% of the emissions (Tuomisto and Teixeira de Matos, 2011). Additionally, lab meat has 82-96% lower water use and a 99% lower land use rate (Tuomisto and Teixeira de Matos, 2011). Nonetheless, lab meat has also received negativity from the public, and this is evidenced by some states passing laws aimed at banning the production, selling and consumption of such meats. The lab-grown meat lacks myoglobin which gives traditional meat its red color. According to Sharma et al. (2015), a recent survey conducted in the US revealed that 80% of the US citizens are not prepared to consume lab-grown meat given their conclusions that the product was close to meat but not as tasty as the natural meat. The myoglobin gives meat its red color and since the lab meat lacks this component makes it appear white. This has made it not to seem appealing to a considerable number of consumers.
Moreover, cultured meat has a lot of nutritional disadvantages as compared to traditional meat. Its white nature is a direct indication that it asks iron. According to Datar and Betti (2010), the introduction of FE (III) ions into the culture medium is not an easy task. This requires close monitoring of the entire process so as to ensure that there no free ferrous ions in the medium for they can easily react with the oxygen thus damaging the whole process. Furthermore, lab meat lacks Vitamin B12 that is essential for the human body. It is an indication that mimicking the nutritional constituents of conventional meat in the lab-grown meat is a challenge. This result from the fact that, for traditional meat to attain its flavor and nutritional value, it has thousands of fat-derived and water-soluble components. Additionally, conventional meat undergoes numerous biochemical processes that produce and modify aromatics and peptides such as the Maillard reaction that allows it to have flavor and nutrients (Sharma et al., 2015).
The production of lab-grown meat is also linked to various unethical undertaking such as the obtaining of fetal calf serum that is essential for the entire muscle growth process. The serum is obtained from the fetuses of expectant cows that are taken to slaughterhouses for various reasons. In order for such serum to be declared viable, it must be obtained from a 3-month-old fetus for i ts heart can easily become punctured and serum was drawn out (Jochems et al., 2002). A cardiac puncture process is normally performed on the fetus, and there is no administration of pain relief medication during the entire process, and this is immoral. Globally, there are about 500,000 liters of serum obtained from the fetus, and this indicates the number of fetuses that provide the serum exceeds more than 1, 000, 0000 (Jochems et al., 2002) at the time of drawing the serum, the fetus must be alive. Furthermore, the survival of the feats after its umbilical cord is cut from the mother is also unethical for it is bound to suffer from anoxia and can lead to permanent brain damage. Additionally, according to Mattick et al. (2015), they were able to find out that the production of lab-grown meat requires more industrial energy as compared to livestock production. As a result of this, lab-grown meat ash a much higher global warming potential. This is an adverse impact of the ab grown meat for the globe is trying to move its energy use towards more sustainable consumption.
The production of lab-grown meat is a double-edged sword. This arises from the fact that it largely aids in eliminating some health and environmental related challenges but also contribute to the same. As noted, lab-grown meat has the capability to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases resulting from livestock production, increased forest degradation water use and land use. Additionally, the lab-grown meat can also reduce various diseases allied with conventional meat such as heart diseases. The meat is also ethical for it eliminates the cruelty and inhumane practices during the slaughtering of animals. Nonetheless, lab-grown meat consumes a lot of energy thus contributing to an increased global warming potential. The meat also lacks the crucial nutritional minerals that are vital for the body such as Vitamin B12 and iron. The use of fetal calf serum for muscle and tissue growth is also unethical.
References
Datar, I., & Betti, M. (2010). Possibilities for an in a vitro meat production system. Innovative Food Science & Emerging Technologies , 11(1), 13–22. doi :10.1016/j.ifset.2009.10.007
FAO. (2006 ). Livestock’s long shadow environmental issues and options . Rome: Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations.
Jochems, C. E., Van Der Valk, J. B., Stafleu, F. R., & Baumans, V. (2002). The use of fetal bovine serum: ethical or scientific problem? ATLA-NOTTINGHAM- , 30 (2), 219-228.
Mattick, C. S., Landis, A. E., Allenby, B. R., & Genovese, N. J. (2015). Anticipatory life cycle analysis of in vitro biomass cultivation for cultured meat production in the United States. Environmental science & technology , 49 (19), 11941-11949.
Sharma, S., Thind, S. S., & Kaur, A. (2015). In vitro meat production system: why and how? Journal of food science and technology , 52 (12), 7599-7607.
Tuomisto, H. L., & Teixeira de Mattos, M. J. (2011). Environmental Impacts of Cultured Meat Production. Environmental Science & Technology , 45(14), 6117–6123. doi: 10.1021/es200130u
