Is In Vitro Meat The Future?
This article presents a discussion of public sentiment toward the concept in vitro meat production, following a symposium on the topic in Norway. The article also discusses PETA’s prize campaign challenging scientists to develop a commercially viable in vitro meat product by 2012.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has offered a $1 million prize to “the first person to come up with a method to produce commercially viable quantities of in vitro meat at competitive prices by 2012,” with properties similar to chicken. PETA identifies the world’s use and abuse of chicken as the most urgent issue to be addressed. However, there is mixed sentiment even within the organization about the notion of eating meat, even if no animal died to produce it.
Others believe that this may be the only way to improve farm animal welfare and that the meat could be healthier without steroids and antibiotics. The fat properties of in vitro meat could be modified as well. According to some experts, current production and consumption of meat is not sustainable. The scientific community is motivated more by environmental concerns than animal welfare ones, although the animal welfare aspect is becoming increasingly appealing to consumers.