Environmental meat

[CAG12]

This isnt really a AIBU, im just really interested in getting opinions and different sides of the arguement.

What do people think of the new plant based meats? Im not talking about quorn, more about the 'burgers' that use animal cells (but not the actual animal) to create 'burgers'. So its not a vegetarian alternative, more about the environment. In the UK I dont think they're sold yet, but in the US they have Impossible Burgers.

Would people eat it? What do people think?

To start off, on the face of it id be all for it but I dont think I know enough of either side of the arguement, hence this thread.

Thanks all for reading 🙂

Is this what plant based meat is? I didn't think it was taken from animal cells, I thought it was literal plants? Either way, the M&S plant kitchen range is delicious

No, plant based meat is derived from plants - this would be derived from animals.

OP, can you change your title at all? I think there'd be more traction as this is an interesting debate (I'm aware of plant based, but not animal cell based). If so, you need to report your thread/opening post to Mumsnet and they can modify your thread title.

Ok ill change it! Thank you I didnt know how

My issues with eating meat are animal welfare and environment so if the impossible burger solves that then great. I can't quite see what other objection anyone would have. (Unless they just don't enjoy meat but then a meat substitute wouldn't be of interest to them anyway).

I would try it! I barely eat meat apart from chicken once a week or so (eat fish) and dd is veggie for ethical reasons so I’d go for it. I’m Not a fan of red meat really though but it’s nice in a burger.

I’m vegetarian and near enough vegan. I’ll eat plant-based things like veggie sausages but would not eat this lab-produced meat because I don’t want to eat things derived from animals if I can avoid it. If you love meat and have mostly boycotted it for environmental or welfare reasons then I think it will be great to have it an an option for people 👍🏻

Impossible burgers are plant based, I don’t think that any lab grown meat products have reached the market yet, but I could be wrong. I was living in the US until recently and didn’t hear anything of them being available. I have seen articles in the chemical engineering journals about developments in this area but my impression is that it is early days. They need to go from lab produced to factory produced to get to market, which is a big step.

Impossible burgers are plant based. So is beyond meat. Highly processes but a tasty thing to have once in a while for us veggies/vegans. I imagine actual lab grown meat is a way off - in terms of being affordable and easily available. I don't know if I'd ever try it.

I live in the US. Veggie for 10+ years due to animal rights

I first saw it in whole foods more than one year ago and the idea repulsed me. Looked too much like meat

It took many months for restaurants to catch up on the idea.

I have had it twice. It is very yummy but cannot shake how similar it is to real meat (or the meat I think I remember - taste and look, it has been too long)
It is definitely very different from quorn or any meatless alternatives out there

My dh tried it (he is a meat eater) and he said it has a resemblance but not the same.

I am glad these new options exist. While it is not high on my list of items to eat, it is good to know there are ways to eat "meat" humanly

Wikipedia suggests that cultured meat (grown from animal cells in vitro) may come to market by 2021.

Impossible Burger is plant based but not considered vegan because it is tested on rats. It is not the same as lab grown meat.

Taste-wise the Impossible Burger is pretty indistinguishable from beef, particularly if it's on a burger bun and loaded with toppings. The Beyond products are not as nice.

However, Impossible meat substitute is marginally higher in saturated fat thanks to the coconut oil and MUCH higher in sodium than beef, so it's far from a perfect solution for someone watching their health.

But the Impossible products are definitely worth a try, because I'm sure there will eventually be a time when the manufacturers address the nutrition aspect of it and then it may be a better alternative.

I do not understand this fascination with having a meat substitute that looks and tastes like meat?
You either like eating meat or don't like eating meat and eat something different instead, surely|?

Ariela I like eating meat but I also have concerns about farming practices and the impact they have on the planet. That's why -- it's not about liking or not liking meat.

@Ariela its more of an environmental concern for me

@HisBetterHalf
Yes... that’s what I was thinking.

I’m a little concerned at the vast processing that goes into some of these plant based meat substitutes. However, if that’s what people want...

It is v Oryx and Crake. No ta, I'll pass.

@Ariela newsflash. Some people give up meat for animal welfare and environmental reasons. They often miss meat.

@branleuse
Agree. It takes a while to stop craving it.

@Branleuse @gwenneh

Then why not eat vegetables instead? Why does it have to be processed to look and taste like meat? Have we looked at the processing process to see how environmentally friendly the process is - compared to growing cattle/sheep on the land? I suspect neither are environmentally friendly - best sticking to veg that come from the farm looking just the same as they are harvested.

This kind of meat can never have the nutrient quality of real meat as many nutrients come from the food the animal eats and how it digests the food. I would also question how environmentally friendly this could ever be due to the production process. Anyone interested in eating ethically, environmentally friendlier meat and healthier meat should look at pasture for life meat. Raising meat this way is better for us, better for the animal and better for the environment as grass is the key to reducing gases.

Impossible burgers are nothing of the kind , they are plant based

I really don’t like the idea of this

I don’t know why... but I just don’t

Impossible Burgers are made with heam (an iron compound usually found in animals)

Price is very important in 2019 Britain where many are forced to food banks.

Has the technology been tested properly? BSE was discovered too late and I wouldn't want this to be a repeat of that.

Say the animal had a disease and would have died or been destroyed before being slaughtered for food. Would that sort of problem appear on a cellular level? If a cell from that animal was used would people get sick?

Sorry posted to early. The heme used in Impossible Burgers is a yeast, but the technology to get heme directly from animals is being trialled in various places across the world