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Singapore’s Lab-Grown Meat May Have an Ethical Problem

Delicious, but is it Kosher?

By Charlie Sorrel Charlie Sorrel Senior Tech Reporter Charlie Sorrel has been writing about technology, and its effects on society and the planet, for 13 years. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on December 7, 2020 11:05AM EST Fact checked by Rich Scherr Fact checked by Rich Scherr University of Maryland Baltimore County Rich Scherr is a seasoned technology and financial journalist who spent nearly two decades as the editor of Potomac and Bay Area Tech Wire. lifewire's fact checking process Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email Smart & Connected Life Mobile Phones Internet & Security Computers & Tablets Smart Life Home Theater & Entertainment Software & Apps Social Media Streaming Gaming

Key Takeaways

Singapore has approved lab-grown chicken for sale.Lab meat is grown in a serum derived from blood of cow fetuses, although non-animal alternatives are being sought.Lab-meat may be grown without animals, but it may not be Halal, Kosher, or vegan. Eat Just Singapore is the first country in the world to approve lab-grown meat for sale. Humans will be able to enjoy chicken grown by San Francisco-based Eat Just, in a lab, with no actual chickens involved. However, this cultured meat is still far from vegan. Right now, lab meat is still grown in a medium that uses fetal bovine serum (FBS), which comes from the blood of cow fetuses, and is harvested from pregnant cows. Lab meat offers a bright future in terms of emissions, animal welfare, and human health, but the ethics are still complex. "FBS contains a mixture of all [the] most important types of proteins and growth factors required for cell culture," cultured meat expert Jordi Morales-Dalmau, a project manager for German biotechnology company OSPIN, told Lifewire via instant message. "Since FBS is so versatile and rich, it is very difficult to mimic in the lab with natural or synthetic compounds."

Gross Medium

The fetal bovine serum growth medium is not only gross (although the animals that it is harvested from are probably treated way better than animals in the conventional food chain), it is expensive, and, of course, it requires animals. The goal of lab meat is to do away with the emissions of producing so much meat, to make purer meat without antibiotics or bacteria, and to rival real meat on price. To do this, it needs a cheap, plentiful alternative to FBS. "It needs to become mainstream for it to have the most impact in reducing environmental footprint and achieving net-zero emissions," Clare Trippett, chief technologist at U.K.-based technology innovation center CPI, told Food Ingredients First. The aim of the CPI’s project is to find growth media based on the by-products of the agricultural industry. "Lots of studies, including startups, are developing ‘simpler’ mediums, by removing the least relevant components and/or focusing on specific types of cells," says Morales-Dalmau.

Is It Kosher Halal Vegan

In Elementary Season 5, Episode 8, Sherlock and Joan investigate a murder linked to lab-grown meat. Spoiler: the motive has to do with the classification of lab meat. Sherlock consults with Muslim and Jewish leaders. If lab meat is classed as a meat substitute, and not actual meat, then it could be certified Kosher or Halal. That would mean big business—hence the murder. A story of non-animal meat exists in the Talmud, but faced with meat created by humans, and not by God, things get more complicated. Even with a non-animal growth medium, the original meat cells that start the culture are animals. This would, it seems, rule out lab-grown pork. Since FBS is so versatile and rich, it is very difficult to mimic in the lab with natural or synthetic compounds. For vegans, the question is simpler, as it involves only personal ethics, and not religious law. Strictly, animal-derived products aren’t vegan, but if the only animal-sourced part is the cell-scraping used to start the culture, perhaps many otherwise strict vegans will relent, relying on their own ethics instead of dogma. It’s a complex subject, but for non-vegans who are not subject to religious law, it comes down to sustainability, a lack of ongoing animal cruelty, and taste. Then again, maybe taste doesn’t come into it. Plenty of people are happy to eat hot dogs and chicken nuggets, after all. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire The 8 Best Online Grocery Shopping Sites in 2022 The Best Documentaries on HBO Right Now (October 2022) How to Plant Seeds in Minecraft The Best LGBT Movies on Netflix Right Now (October 2022) How to Make a Smoker in Minecraft Excel SUMIFS: Sum Only Values Meeting Multiple Criteria ARK: Survival Evolved Tips and Tricks The 13 Best True Crime Podcasts of 2022 Restaurant Delivery Service War: Uber Eats vs DoorDash Verizon 5G: Looking Forward The 8 Best Offline Farm Games of 2022 5 Pandora Halloween Stations for Any Scary Flavor Make Money (Bells) in 'Animal Crossing: New Leaf' 14 Safe Podcasts for Kids and Schools in 2022 The Xbox Series X Exclusive Games List The 24 Best Anime Series and Movies of 2022 Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies