Where's the beef? It could be history soon

By Steve Moyer

Nevada Daily Mail

In an old commercial from the mid-80s, a short elderly woman approaches a fast-food counter and demands in a loud voice "Where's the beef?" Clara Peller, the woman portraying the crusty hamburger seeker, died shortly after making the commercials but had she lived, she would be astounded to learn what only two decades have wrought -- beef, and other meats, being grown in a laboratory.

A team of scientists has proposed two new techniques of tissue engineering that could one day lead to commercial meat production without processing the carcasses of animals. Jason Matheny, a doctoral student from the University of Maryland, recently spoke about the process.

"It's nothing we could use right away, commercial use is a long way off yet," Matheny said. "I'd be hard-pressed to give an estimate but I'd say it would have to be at least a decade away."

The idea of producing meat in a lab isn't new, C.M. Kornbluth and Fred Pohl explored the idea behind culturing meat for human consumption in "The Space Merchants," written in the 1950s, a book that explored capitalism and consumerism.

Popular Mechanics had an article even earlier by Winston Churchill opining on the possibility of culturing meat. "50 Years hence ... we shall escape the absurdity of growing a whole chicken in order to eat the breast or wing, by growing those parts separately under a suitable medium."

Matheny pointed out that even if it became possible to culture meat in an economically feasible way, there were several hurdles to overcome, the primary one being consumer acceptance of the product.

"I think it will be a problem for some people, especially in this country where there has always been an abundance of meat," Matheny said. "Other countries where many people haven't had ready access to meat might be more inclined to make use of in vitro technology to produce it."

A local member of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, Herman Janks, said that even though an animal wouldn't be killed to produce the meat there might be concerns that would keep vegetarians from eating it. "It's not just the treatment of animals, it's the health issue," Janks said. "Studies have shown that vegetarian diets are healthier."

Janks said that such meat might be more acceptable, especially if producing it reduced the perceived pollution and waste of land he associates with traditional farming methods.

"One good thing about it would be that it wouldn't use all the resources that raising animals for food waste," Janks said. "Tremendous amounts of land are used to raise animals and the grain used to feed them."

Matheny made many of the same arguments.

"As conservation pressure increases around air quality and other environmental concerns it might be a way for producers to make the product more appealing to consumers," Matheny said. "In vitro isn't the only way to improve conditions, but it could be an important way."

Another advantage over traditional methods is the natural spread of disease.

"Many of the diseases that are spread by contact with animals, like avian flu, could be reduced and problems like E. coli eliminated," Matheny said.