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kdfsjljklgjfg t1_j1xw0pm wrote

This is something I've wondered a lot in reference to lab-grown meat. I can't think of any reason why growing a hanger steak or a chuck eye would be cheaper than ribeye or filet, so there would be no reason to make the lower-quality meats.

I'm ultimately all for lab-grown meat and I hope it takes over, but a part of me wonders if we're eventually going to lose a part of the culinary arts in exchange.

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Anakin_BlueWalker3 t1_j21sp80 wrote

If there is demand, it will be met.

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kdfsjljklgjfg t1_j221pzo wrote

That's the thing. There's less demand now, when it comes as part of a package. When ribeye and filet are the same price, will there be enough demand for it in their place to even be worth production?

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Anakin_BlueWalker3 t1_j2220u0 wrote

Yes, there are billions of people, it is likely most types of meat that people are accustomed to will have some level of demand.

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sandcrawler56 OP t1_j1xymr1 wrote

Yeah exactly. All that would be sold will be the most expensive or profitable cuts.

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hotpietptwp t1_j1yxym3 wrote

At least in the US, people will still want ground meat for burgers and recipes.

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boneman1982 t1_j214wm0 wrote

Only when the technology's output is limited. When it makes enough to supply all that then there's no reason to limit it so long as there is demand at a profitable price point. If your cost to produce is $3 and you can sell it from anywhere between $4-$18, yeah you're gonna sell at $18. But there's limited demand there.

Plus like, you can't do barbacoa with ribeye. Or pot roast. Beef burgundy, shredded Italian beef..... These are all independently delicious and not just things people eat because they can't afford ribeye.

I guess we might lose out if lab grown meat gets popular enough to fuck up current meat industry but can't scale enough to make the cheap cuts profitably or can't figure out how to make cuts full of connective tissue properly.

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iamallanevans t1_j20cnyd wrote

It also kind of drives a potential thought of perhaps being able to replicate human meat and organs as a food choice. Which may breed some cannibalistic characteristics. Also could potentially create the possibility of lab grown humans, which could in turn be raised to be slaughtered kind of like how the current food industry is. Weird.

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kdfsjljklgjfg t1_j20drjr wrote

It's an interesting thought, but I don't feel the stigma against cannibalism is something society would be willing to set aside because the meat was lab-grown.

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