MEAT FOR HUMANS MAY SOON BE GROWN IN LABORATORY

Disembodied meat grown from cells in a laboratory may sound like something out of a freakish science-fiction plot. It isn't fiction. This technology is real. Bioengineered meat could soon be found on a dinner plate near you.

Developmental biologist and tissue engineer, Dr. Vladimir Mironov had some difficulty finding financial backing for his research. Two US government agencies declined to fund his project. For a short time, NASA provided capital for the research. The money needed to continue the project was finally provided by a well known animal rights organization. This prompted estimates that laboratory cultured meat products might be available for public consumption as early as this fall.

The process harvests embryonic animal cells -- often from bird eggs -- which are then bathed in a growth serum made from bovine material. As the cells multiply and bind together, electric shocks are administered to stimulate the formation of muscle tissue. The resulting tissue is then ground and fortified with supplemental vitamins and nutrients. Depending upon consumer preference, the food could be designed with varying texture and taste. According to Dr. Mironov it is all perfectly safe for human consumption.

Dr. Mironov is also one of the primary researchers in a separate $20 million project. This project is utilizing the same technology to culture donor organs from human stem cells.

Recent events, however, may cause both projects to have an uncertain future. Dr. Mironov has been suspended from the Medical University of South Carolina and his laboratory closed pending an investigation of allegations of unacceptable behavior. This latest development could mean that estimates for fall release of test tube meat could be delayed.

Personal scandals and projected timetables aside, there are larger health issues to be considered. Logic dictates that food from animals made sick by their environment and contaminated food is a bad choice for human consumption. It is puzzling to see that investment dollars are being directed towards attempts to develop a substitute food rather than towards farmers who raise livestock in humane and healthy conditions.

The concept of cultured meat seems to promote the illusion that water, soil, food and air can all be contaminated without any real consequences. After all, meat is just something that can be grown in a laboratory, right? These technologies seem to diminish the importance of caring diligently for the natural resources we have by suggesting that we can easily create a man-made substitute. Plants and animals provide us with immediate feedback on whether they have good food, water and living conditions. A disembodied meat patty grown in a laboratory wouldn't be expected to do the same.

Still, assurances are offered that the consumption of artificial food artificially fortified with artificial and isolated nutrients is capable of producing healthy humans.

Efforts to pass legislation to label genetically modified produce have been thwarted. The argument made by opponents is that an apple is an apple, no matter its genetic makeup. With such a precedent as this in place regarding fruits and vegetables, one can only wonder how/whether/if the general public will be informed about what they are actually purchasing from their local butcher.

I, for one, am not willing to risk the health and development of my children, grandchildren and generations to come on this 'science.'

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WATCH FOOD INC. FREE, 7 MORE DAYS

Please take the time out of your busy schedule to watch Food, Inc. This movie is being offered for free viewing now through April 29th. That's 7 days from this posting. If you've ever wondered where your food is coming from and why this blogger encourages you to learn how to make your own meals from basic ingredients, this documentary will offer you a LOT of those answers.

Here is an interview by Bonnie Hunt with Robert Kenner, director of "Food, Inc.,"
He explains some of his reasons for making the movie. This is the 3rd part of a 3 part interview:

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I am including the following link to the movie, but this stream will only be good for 7 more days.
Please click on the image to follow the link to the page where you can view the entire film. FOOD, INC.



Or click on this link: FOOD, INC (streaming through April 29, 2010)

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RENDERING FAT

Fat has many uses. It can be used as a mechanical lubricant, in salves and ointments, in food preparation and baking as well as in soap production. Modern manufacturing processes may cause you to be cautious about using processed fats from your local grocer. One way to know what goes into your product is to produce it yourself.

Rendering fat is the process used to remove meat and particles from the fat of an animal. This must be done in order to store fat for later use. Bits of meat left in fat will cause it to become rancid in storage and unfit for use. Rendering is also a process that can be used to save grease left over after cooking. Leftover cooking grease will go rancid without being rendered or refrigerated because of the bits of food left inside. This cleaning step removes unwanted odors and colors from the fat.

Fat can be rendered from many meats. Fat rendered from pork is called lard. Fat rendered from beef is called tallow. You can use venison, bear meat, chicken, duck or any “hard fat” from animals just as you would beef tallow or lard.

Use a sharp knife to remove the pockets of fat from the meat, collecting the fat into a container. In many animals, the fat is encased inside of a protective membrane. If it is large enough, you can strip the fat from this membrane. Use your knife to further slice the chunks into small bits. Some people prefer to run this through their meat grinder to expose more surface area. This will make rendering go more quickly. If you aren't able to render the fat right away, it can be kept in a freezer. Don't leave it at room temperature if it hasn't been rendered.

RENDERING

Heat the collected fat gently in an over sized pot. If the fat is heated too quickly, bits of meat can remain locked in the fat and burn, giving your final product a burnt scent and possibly a burnt flavor. This is a smelly process. If you have several pounds of fat to render, you may find this is easier (and safer) to do outdoors. Moderate amounts can be managed on a kitchen stove. Small amounts can be done in the oven.


WARNING! WARNING! WARNING!
Do not leave the pot unattended at any point in this process. If the pot were to boil over onto your stove, the fat would burst into flames in a grease fire that would be difficult or impossible to contain.

CLARIFYING
A final step is called clarifying your fat. This will further ensure the purity of your fat and protect it from becoming rancid by removing any remaining bits of meat from the fat. To clarify your fat, place equal amounts of your rendered fat and water into a large pot. Leave lots of space between the contents and the top of the container. Heat the contents to a simmer. Turn of your heat at this point. The residual heat of the pot will cause the fat and water to come to a gentle boil. Allow the pot to sit undisturbed while it cools.

Clarifying liquefies the fat and releases the bits of meat and impurities. When allowed to cool, the impurities settle to the bottom of your pot, the water becomes a middle layer or barrier and the fat rises to the top and solidifies. This top, solid layer is your clarified fat. Scrape any bits that remain off of the bottom of this layer. This can be stored in glass jars or covered containers for later use.



WHAT TO DO WITH THE LEFTOVER BITS
The leftover bits of very crunch meat are called cracklin. Cracklins can be used as flavoring in salads and corn bread. They can also be mixed with peanut butter and beef suet to make a treat for the songbirds in your yard. Dab this mixture between the prongs of a pine cone. Attach a string and hang from a nearby tree where the birds have easy access.



This video shows the how the fat looks during clarifying.
It is a bit long (over 8 minutes). At the 4:45 mark you will see how the contents of the pot appear when they are ready to be removed from the heat.



This video shows how the contents of the pot appear after cooling.



For Further Reading:
Colonial Soap Making. Its History and Techniques
How to Render Duck Fat
How to Render Lard And Why I Do It

EXAMPLE OF KITCHEN RENDERING WITH PICTURES
How I Rendered My Own Lard

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