Beef Cell Techmology

[Abbot Mythos]

"The World's First Cultured Meatball"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWYzYlRZgbI

Great! Now let's see them use their techmology to do it with bacon cells!

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

I'm curious about where this goes, but also deeply skeptical about the actual value of this particular application. I think the research is good because it can always be used for other applications yet undiscovered, but after much consideration, I doubt that vat-grown meat will ever succeed in addressing either environmental or food supply issues.

[Junkenstein]

It's a nice indication of where medical applications should/could be at, which is far more interesting to me.

I'm pretty doubtful of this at these kind of scales. To be remotely viable you're talking about serious industry. That's the kind of shit that will attract more than a few protests.

Though the idea of giant meat vats does sound like the potential for more fun than anyone really wanted. Google a couple of industrial tank failures/explosions/collapses and you'll see what I mean.

[Abbot Mythos]

I'm not a life sciences guy. I don't know anything about cell growth rates, but I suspect that is the primary factor in determining the cost effectiveness of this technology. That being said, I also suspect that if no-kill beef could be produced and sold for less than four (4) times the cost of conventional beef, there's a niche market out there for it. (I found grass-fed beef tenderloin being advertised on the Internet for over $ 25 per pound, with an additional stiff charge for shipping.)   

I don't see this technology putting beef cattle ranchers out of business, but I believe it does have huge marketing potential. For instance:

Boutique Designer No-kill Filet Minion™

No-kill White Rhinoceros Steaks™

No-kill Siberian Tiger Steaks™

Sea Shepherd Conservation Society Approved No-kill Baleen Whale Tail Meat™

No-kill New England Lobster Tail™

At this point in time, I suspect the technology is no further along than 'proof of concept', or the small pilot plant stage. And, I don't know what's being used for feed stock. However, I can easily envision the overall production process being highly automated right through to final product packaging. So, low labor costs. I also suspect plant location is limited by nothing more than feed stock, water, and electric power availability. (A fossil fuel source for conventional steam boilers would be nice, but not an absolute necessity.)

I would have to know cell growth rates, feed stocks, and see a P&ID of a successful pilot plant to calculate full-scale plant costs, production costs, and ROI, but I seriously doubt that full-scale plant costs would be out of line for the food industry. (Many people would be surprised to see the level of technology and automation that goes into the production of a chocolate bar, or a jelly bean.)

I also don't envision a full-scale plant utilizing this technology being any more dangerous than one that handles, for instance, bulk sugar, bulk flour, or bulk corn starch. (Possible feed stocks.) That is, I highly doubt any hazardous chemicals are being utilized in the production process, or any outrageously dangerous process equipment, or storage facilities are required.

The fine dust from bulk sugar, bulk flour, and bulk corn starch, are explosion hazards. But, there are quite specific NFPA codes that, if followed, allow them to be safely stored and transported within a processing plant. What's required are explosion vents on some storage silos, explosion suppression equipment on dust collectors, magnets to keep ferrous metal scrap out of pneumatic conveying systems, explosion-proof electric motors, sealed electrical conduits, etc.

Yeah, I know it sounds really bad. But, those big commercial bakeries that are cranking out tons and tons of bread every day should be equipped with that stuff, if their insurance providers are looking out for their own best interests. Anyway, if the processing plants that handle those commodities are designed correctly and maintained properly, it's not all that big a deal.

By the way, the biggest hazard, by far, in the food industry is plain old poor cleaning and sanitation practices.

Last, with 'costs to orbit' still being in the $ 10,000 per pound range, any hope for economical, manned space stations, high-end tourist space hotels, lunar facilities, and long-term planetary missions will need this technology, or something very much like it. (They'll also need some high-tech waste recycling equipment, but that's another topic.)

[P3nT4gR4m]

Boutique Designer No-kill Filet Minion™

No-kill White Rhinoceros Steaks™

No-kill Siberian Tiger Steaks™

Sea Shepherd Conservation Society Approved No-kill Baleen Whale Tail Meat™

No-kill New England Lobster Tail™

You missed Longpig from that list

[Abbot Mythos]

Boutique Designer No-kill Filet Minion™

No-kill White Rhinoceros Steaks™

No-kill Siberian Tiger Steaks™

Sea Shepherd Conservation Society Approved No-kill Baleen Whale Tail Meat™

No-kill New England Lobster Tail™

You missed Longpig from that list

Yet another niche market! I wonder how much 'people' would be willing to pay for that product?

Anyway, thanks for the idea! What else ya got?

[Junkenstein]

By the way, the biggest hazard, by far, in the food industry is plain old poor cleaning and sanitation practices.

Oh, this. So much this. That's a fucking hilarious news item just waiting to happen.

Going to the other end of the scale, a personal meat jar also looks like an option. Not a good one, but plausible enough. Grow your own crops, brew your own beer, clone your own meat....  Again, so much potential poisonous amusement for all.

Taking bets on the date of the first "cannibal rights" movement. Also inevitable and filled with horrormirth.

[Junkenstein]

Boutique Designer No-kill Filet Minion™

No-kill White Rhinoceros Steaks™

No-kill Siberian Tiger Steaks™

Sea Shepherd Conservation Society Approved No-kill Baleen Whale Tail Meat™

No-kill New England Lobster Tail™

You missed Longpig from that list

Transmetropolitian looks more like the actual future every day.

[minuspace]

I like it, though I have some reservations about the time/energy it would take to assemble all those amino-acids, carbs and various nutrients into actual muscle tissue.  The way in which meat was referred to as "cells" and the preparation by compression into "balls" made me think not...  yet.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

I like it, though I have some reservations about the time/energy it would take to assemble all those amino-acids, carbs and various nutrients into actual muscle tissue.  The way in which meat was referred to as "cells" and the preparation by compression into "balls" made me think not...  yet.

Yeah, those were kind of my thoughts. Particularly the resources needed to make the "meat".

[minuspace]

I like it, though I have some reservations about the time/energy it would take to assemble all those amino-acids, carbs and various nutrients into actual muscle tissue.  The way in which meat was referred to as "cells" and the preparation by compression into "balls" made me think not...  yet.

Yeah, those were kind of my thoughts. Particularly the resources needed to make the "meat".

The worst thing, that just occurred to me, is the meat(?) would not be imbued with essential life-force and as such is totally useless for all purposes related to sacrifice and/or consumption.  This mockery of the gods is how the world ends; every time, every single time.

[Prelate Diogenes Shandor]

It's about bloody time.

I like it, though I have some reservations about the time/energy it would take to assemble all those amino-acids, carbs and various nutrients into actual muscle tissue.  The way in which meat was referred to as "cells" and the preparation by compression into "balls" made me think not...  yet.

Yeah, those were kind of my thoughts. Particularly the resources needed to make the "meat".

The worst thing, that just occurred to me, is the meat(?) would not be imbued with essential life-force and as such is totally useless for all purposes related to sacrifice and/or consumption.  This mockery of the gods is how the world ends; every time, every single time.

Plus it's not dark and metal and brutal either.

[Abbot Mythos]

There are new advancements in Beef Cell Techmology!

"Scientists grow 'meaty' rice hybrid food for protein kick"

"Scientists have created a new type of hybrid food - a "meaty" rice that they say could offer an affordable and eco-friendly source of protein."

As per this article:

"The porous grains are packed with beef muscle and fat cells, grown in the lab.
 
The rice was first coated in fish gelatine to help the beef cells latch on, and the grains were left in a petri dish to culture for up to 11 days.
 
The researchers say the food may serve as "relief for famine, military ration, or even space food" in the future.
 
It remains to be seen whether consumers would take to it if it gets to market."

I don't know exactly how long it's going to take, but I believe this "meaty" rice is going to be in the markets in the not-so-distant future. And, I wouldn't be at all surprised if it's named "Beefaricey."

Here's the link to this article:      Further Advancements in Beef Cell Techmology