What is Meat?

Southern Dad · Sep 16, 2018

What is meat? I remember when soybeans were added to hamburger to make less expensive patties. Recently there have been breakthroughs in laboratory created meat. One state is taking a preemptive stand by passing a law defining what can be sold as meat. How do you feel about laboratory created meat? Does meat have to come from animals?

Missouri has a new law defining ‘meat.’ That’s just the latest round in the battles over your food.

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On Aug. 28, a law went into effect in Missouri that makes it a crime to use the term “meat” to describe any product that does not come from a “livestock or poultry carcass or part thereof.” The same day, a number of plaintiffs — including Tofurky, a maker of plant-based meat alternatives; the American Civil Liberties Union of Missouri; the Good Food Institute, a recently formed lobby group; and the Animal Legal Defense Fund — filed a lawsuit alleging that the statute violates the First Amendment.

Clearly, both sides understand that regulation serves two purposes: to protect consumers and to prevent entry into a market.

The Washington Post - September 13, 2018

Ralph47 · Sep 16, 2018

Southern Dad said:
What is meat? I remember when soybeans were added to hamburger to make less expensive patties. Recently there have been breakthroughs in laboratory created meat. One state is taking a preemptive stand by passing a law defining what can be sold as meat. How do you feel about laboratory created meat? Does meat have to come from animals?

The term "meat" just like the term "marriage" should ALWAYS mean traditional definition. If you want to create something "similar" that is NOT exactly the same, it should ALWAYS have a new name!!! It is not that hard to come up with a new name - hello?!

They just need to be careful to come up with a name that is not misleading, like the term "3-D printing". It is NOT printing at all. If it was, what you end up with would be made of INK!

The correct term in this case would be "3-D fabricating".

Southern Dad · Sep 16, 2018

Dairy Queen was unable to call its main product, ice cream because of rules like this. Pringles couldn't call their product potato chips.

Ralph47 · Sep 16, 2018

Southern Dad said:
Dairy Queen was unable to call its main product, ice cream because of rules like this. Pringles couldn't call their product potato chips.

If it is not ice cream (min. butterfat content not met), then it should not be called as such.

LOL! I think it is quite the joke that they sell "fat-free half & half creamer" in the dairy section. By definition, it must contain 1/2 whole milk & 1/2 cream, a minimum butterfat content of 10.5%.

Okashii · Sep 18, 2018

Eh, whatever. If I'm hungry enough I'll eat it. If we ever want to get off this backwater rock and have a decent chance at long term survival as a species, we need to learn alternatives to the way we've always done things. As things stand right now, all our eggs are in one very fragile basket.

Ralph47 · Sep 18, 2018

Okashii said:
As things stand right now, all our eggs are in one very fragile basket.

In other words, nature owns/controls us, rather than the opposite!!!

Southern Dad · Sep 18, 2018

Okashii said:
Eh, whatever. If I'm hungry enough I'll eat it. If we ever want to get off this backwater rock and have a decent chance at long term survival as a species, we need to learn alternatives to the way we've always done things. As things stand right now, all our eggs are in one very fragile basket.

When I read about laboratory created meat, my first thought is how does it taste. If I can't tell it's not beef, then I'm on board.

Ralph47 · Sep 18, 2018

Southern Dad said:
When I read about laboratory created meat, my first thought is how does it taste. If I can't tell it's not beef, then I'm on board.

Same here, but only if it is cheaper.

It is an outrage that soy (or whatever) meat substitutes cost MORE!!!

arcturus88 · Sep 18, 2018

I like the idea of not having to kill an animal to survive.

Ralph47 · Sep 18, 2018

arcturus88 said:
I like the idea of not having to kill an animal to survive.

But one the other hand, said animal would never have existed, had it not been farm raised. So it at least had a life at all, eh? (insert smug smiley here)

Southern Dad · Sep 18, 2018

I think vegetarian is the Native American word for "Lousy Hunter"

Ralph47 · Sep 18, 2018

Southern Dad said:
I think vegetarian is the Native American word for "Lousy Hunter"

Indeed!

Southern Dad · Sep 20, 2018

arcturus88 said:
I like the idea of not having to kill an animal to survive.

Something to consider but would that chicken or cow be alive, if the farmer wasn't raising it for its meat? I know that many, who raise chickens cull the roosters because they do not contribute.

Ralph47 · Sep 20, 2018

Southern Dad said:
Something to consider but would that chicken or cow be alive, if the farmer wasn't raising it for its meat? I know that many, who raise chickens cull the roosters because they do not contribute.

You comment is deja vu! As I said above:

But one the other hand, said animal would never have existed, had it not been farm raised. So it at least had a life at all, eh?