Legislators there and in several other states want to restrict the manufacture or sale of meat made in a laboratory, even though it barely exists. The space industry disagrees.

Legislators there and in several other states want to restrict the manufacture or sale of meat made in a laboratory, even though it barely exists. The space industry disagrees.

Lab grown meat.

It sounds like a plotline from a sci-fi movie about test-tube chicken fingers, but it’s a real thing.

Start-up companies around the world are competing to develop technologies for producing chicken, beef, salmon and other options without the need to raise and slaughter animals. China has made the development of the industry a priority. In the United States, the Department of Agriculture has given initial blessings to two producers.

Now, a measure in Florida that would ban sales of laboratory-grown meat has gained widespread attention beyond state borders. The bill, which is advancing through the Florida Legislature, would make the sale or manufacture of lab-grown meat a misdemeanor with a fine of $1,000. It’s one of a half-dozen similar measures in Arizona, Tennessee, West Virginia and elsewhere.

Opponents of lab-grown meat include beef and poultry associations worried that laboratory-made hamburgers or chicken nuggets could cut into their business.

Non-paywall link

  • Timecircleline
    481·
    10 months ago

    I’m stumped on why this is an issue. I mean, apart from the agricultural industries, I don’t see why anyone can be against this.

    • catloaf@lemm.eeEnglish
      691·
      10 months ago

      Opponents of lab-grown meat include beef and poultry associations worried that laboratory-made hamburgers or chicken nuggets could cut into their business.

        • Bridger
          111·
          10 months ago

          and doesn’t fuck up your cholesterol.

        • Sodis@feddit.de
          2·
          10 months ago

          It will probably contain less harmful stuff, like antibiotics, as well.

        • catloaf@lemm.eeEnglish
          17·
          10 months ago

          It won’t. It will taste slightly more bland on its own, but a little oil and seasoning will fix that right up.

          I’ve made burgers from ground beef substitute (beyond beef and impossible beef) a bunch of times and they’re close to ground beef, just not quite as fatty or flavorful. I’m sure lab ground beef will be somewhere in between.

          • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
            101·
            10 months ago

            This is not beef substitute, this is actual beef, but grown in a lab, not taken from a live animal.

      • lennybird@lemmy.worldEnglish
        172·
        10 months ago

        I just recently learned that the beef industry literally has an online troll farm of >20,000 paid “MBA” (Masters of Beef Advocacy) graduates. It certainly goes against their self-interest no differently than oil opposing electric cars.

        Edit: For the doubters.

        • Stovetop@lemmy.world
          9·
          10 months ago

          Well I can see why! No matter what lab-grown meat has to offer, you just can’t beat the taste of freshly seared grass-fed steak on a charcoal grill. And the more the cow suffered before its death, the better it tastes! Ain’t nothing more American than that. No woke lab full of so-called “scientists” (i.e. agents serving the liberal agenda) can match that!

          So next time you’re at the polling station and some socialist put a measure on the ballot to regulate your local cattle industry that provides thousands of appropriately-paid jobs to America’s youth (free from union oppression, of course) because of “the environment” or “child labor laws”, think again!

          • lennybird@lemmy.worldEnglish
            7·
            10 months ago

            Too right about that! Plus I just so happened to hear that Free Range Freedom Ranch promises to deliver the tastiest, most healthiest non-atherosclerotic-inducing, ANTI-Cancer ™ Beef Patties in the whole Freedom-Lubbin 'Merica! Shucks, imagine that!

      • Timecircleline
        7·
        10 months ago

        But are they so powerful that they are influencing legislation to this degree? I wouldn’t be surprised if the answer was yes, but I feel like there have to be other groups against it. Is there a religious angle? Do people just think it’s icky? I’m genuinely curious.

        • Pretzilla@lemmy.world
          151·
          10 months ago

          Pure capitalism, institutionalized corruption.

          It’s only a few thousand to purchase your very own member of US congress.

          Probably only a few hundred or a nice dinner or a junket to the strip club to buy a state rep or senator.

          Strip club extra action: feed them drinks and get some pictures for some bonus kompromat.

        • originalucifer@moist.catsweat.com
          102·
          10 months ago

          its always money, and in this case also precedent.

          other red-neck, anti-human states can then follow whatever florida does to prevent the free market from correcting for animal torture.

          money

        • catloaf@lemm.eeEnglish
          71·
          10 months ago

          Agriculture is huge business. They’ve been very happy with their business, especially given all the subsidies they get. They don’t want to lose business, even given the environmental cost.

          • Sodis@feddit.de
            1·
            10 months ago

            They can still have business, just not in the animal sector. Lab grown meat will still need nutrients to grow.

    • Ð Greıt Þu̇mpkin@lemm.ee
      9·
      10 months ago

      If you are able to remember when GMO crops were shiny and new, you may also remember Jenny McCarthy types raising a stink about “frankenfood”

      Basically mass hysteria about how unnaturally made food will give everyone cancer and four arms all in the wrong places and a third eye

    • olutukko@lemmy.world
      4·
      10 months ago

      Meat and dairy industries are huge and those people really don’t want their businness to go extinct