‘USDA Approves First Lab-Grown Meat in U.S., But Scientists, Food Safety Experts Aren’t Sold on It’
50% of Americans say they are unlikely to try lab-grown meat https://t.co/9DnFJ6FX80 pic.twitter.com/mMVjwzJk31
— CNN (@CNN) June 24, 2023
For years, we have had genetically modified organisms (GMOs), both plants and animals approved for the food supply, at least in the USA and parts of Asia.
Now, lab-grown ‘meats’ have been approved for the USA. Some are concerned:
USDA Approves First Lab-Grown Meat in U.S., But Scientists, Food Safety Experts Aren’t Sold on It
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) on Wednesday approved the sale of lab-grown meat for the first time, giving two California-based food technology startups the green light to sell chicken grown in a lab from animal cells, The Associated Press (AP) reported.
The approval granted to Upside Foods and Good Meat — the first two companies to go through the regulatory approval process — makes the U.S. the second country in the world, behind Singapore, to allow sales of lab-grown or so-called “cultivated” meat.
The meat is made from cells from a living animal, a fertilized egg or a “special bank of stored cells” and cultivated in steel tanks. Over a series of weeks, it grows into sheets or masses, depending on the company, of muscle and connective tissue that are then formed into the shape of chicken cutlets and sausages, and cooked as food. …
It is also extremely expensive to produce and cannot yet be produced at scale. Experts also question its safety. …
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) called the meat a “food revolution.” …
Cell-cultivated meat is made using techniques developed in the biopharma industry. Cells from live animals or a cell bank — where “immortalized” cells are produced from cultured stem cells — are grown in large steel tanks called cultivators, or bioreactors.
The cells are “fed” a mixture of sugars, amino and fatty acids, salts, and vitamins to proliferate quickly. …
The production methods used to create lab-grown meat raise a series of human health and food safety concerns, according to Jaydee Hanson and Julia Ranney at the Center for Food Safety (CFS).
They wrote that public patents from companies like Memphis Meats (rebranded as Upside Foods in 2021) and Eat Just (Good Meat) show the companies use growth factors that could promote the development of cancer-like or mutated cells in the lab meat that could be absorbed into the human bloodstream after digestion.
In an interview with The Defender, Hanson said:
“The company also notes that it is using genetic engineering to promote continuous growth of the cells. This is disturbing, in that it is likely that the genes being manipulated can promote cancers.”
He added that “cancer-causing genes should not be used in food production. Food additives that cause cancer are illegal. Unfortunately, the company does not list exactly which genes it is using for genetically engineered cells.”
Speaking on a panel last year that addressed concerns related to lab-grown meat, panelist Michael Hansen, Ph.D., senior staff scientist with Consumer Reports, also questioned the safety of lab-grown meat.
He said the “inputs” used in cell-cultured lab meat are actually “recombinants” — manipulated DNA segments — which is “more complicated and disconcerting” than the genetically engineered products — which have been flagged as dangerous to human health — found in plant-based meats such as the Impossible Burger.
Panelist Tom Neltner, chemicals policy director at the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), said he agreed sustainable sources of protein are needed, but cautioned the products will be “proprietary” and “we won’t know their effect or what they are.”
Panelists also raised concerns about the effects novel ingredients may have on the human microbiome. …
Lab-grown meat companies are backed by nearly $3 billion in investments from meat industry corporations … 06/23/23 https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/usda-approves-lab-grown-meat/
The Bible warns:
10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. (1 Timothy 6:10)
And that is what is happening in the laboratory food world to a major degree. Financial and other forms of greed are driving much of this.
THE FACT IS THAT THERE IS NO WAY THAT THE PRO-GMO AND LAB-MEAT FORCES CAN HAVE ENOUGH DATA TO PROVE WHAT THEY ARE DOING IS NOT DANGEROUS. At minimum, in order to get the kind of data to truly demonstrate safety, studies involving at least a million humans over a period of a couple of centuries would need to be done–and this has never happened. The pro-GMO and lab-meat forces act like they are wise and have facts on their side, but the facts remain that what they are doing is dangerous and when it comes to using human genes, also immoral. They have not, and cannot, test for all possible complications associated with what they are doing.
The Bible warns:
20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, 21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, (Romans 1:20-22)
Humans may not know the long-term effects of GMOs and lab-meats for many years (if we have enough years until Jesus returns–afterwards, He can clue us in).
Consider that the Bible warns:
11 Because the sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil. (Ecclesiastes 8:11)
The reality is that groups like the US Food and Drug Administration have approved all kinds of foods that they claimed were safe–but did not realize were unsafe for decades.
Consider the case of hydrogenated fats. Probably, the first commercial hydrogenated trans-fatty acid product was Crisco shortening, which was introduced in 1911. The scientist who developed the first partially hydrogenated fats, Paul Sabatier, won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry jointly with fellow Frenchman Victor Grignard in 1912. The US and other world governments promoted these ‘food’ products. But, finally in 2013, the FDA warned about them (see FDA finally rules that hydrogenated trans-fatty acids are not safe). It took over a century.
As a scientist, let me state that the main tests are for acute reactions and causing cancer in animals. They rarely check for much more and cannot possibly test for every possible consequence.
Additionally, scientists are combining a variety of animal genes as well as genes of creatures like spiders. Even humans and pigs (see Pig-Human GMOs proposed and British scientists insisting on human GMOs).
It is not that all the GMOs and lab-meat developed will necessarily cause harm. But they simply have not been tested to insure that they cannot contribute to many types of chronic health complaints.
So, yes, I believe it is safer for my body to try to avoid them. And, at this time, CNN has reported that 50% of Americans do not want to try lab-grown meats. Yet, since they are likely to get mixed into many things, most Americans may end up consuming them knowingly or unknowingly.
Paul told Timothy that love of money can cause many sorrows. Notice that Jesus told that famines were one of the sorrows that would come:
8 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be famines and troubles. These are the beginnings of sorrows. (Mark 13:8)
While some claim that GMO-crops are resistant to various pests, the reality is that several years ago, Monsanto learned that its corn that was supposed to be resistant to a root pest was, in fact, susceptible to it (see Pestilence Issues and Genetically-Modified Corn). The scientists there hope to work around this, but the time will come that disasters and troubles will result in famines and I have long suspected that GMOs would be part of the reason. There are also many concerns about lab-grown meat.
A while back, the Continuing Church of God (CCOG) put out the following video on our Bible News Prophecy YouTube channel:
GMOs, Lab meat, Hydrogenation: Safe or Dangerous?
Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) have been in the US food supply for over 20 years. Are they safe? Which ten GMO plants are now widely commercially available? What about laboratory-grown ‘meat’.? Hydrogenated trans-fatty acid products have been consumed for over 100 years. Are they safe? Certain scientists claim that the data proves the safety of GMOs and lab-meat. But do they have enough data? Are the proponents of GMOs and lab-meat driven by data or greed? How long is long enough to test these ‘foods’? Can overly processed foods lead to type 2 diabetes or dementia? Are there allergy, gene-transfer, and outcrossing risks with GMOs? What risks does the World Health Organization say that GMOs pose? Do studies involving animals show real dangers with GMOs? On June 11, 2019, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order reducing government oversight over GMO plants and animals. Was this wise or dangerous? Is the food supply at any risk? What did Jesus teach? What does the Bible teach that God’s people should eat?
Here is a link to the video: GMOs, Lab meat, Hydrogenation: Safe or Dangerous?
Thousands of years ago, God inspired one of his prophets to pen the following, which encourages people to eat what is good:
2 Why do you spend money for what is not bread, And your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, And let your soul delight itself in abundance. (Isaiah 55:2)
Instead of having an animal grow, lab-grown meat is a bunch of cells grown in a laboratory–this is simply not the same as meat from an actual animal.
Lab-grown ‘hamburger’ ()
But since it looks and tastes like the real thing, people will go for it.
Encouraging lab-meat and GMOs is hazardous to the environment and ultimately will negatively impact humanity–even more than it has so far.
While the consumption of small amounts of such ‘foods’ does not appear to be harmful, I personally do not consider that long-term consumption of GMOs or lab-meat by humans is wise nor safe.
But the word of God warned that because of the love of money and delays in punishment, humans would pursue things that they should not. The whole GMO, lab-meat, and overly-processed food industries continue to push for things that are not good.
Some items of possibly related interest may include the following:
Christian Health Matters Should Christians be concerned about their health? Does the Bible give any food and health guidelines? Here are links to two related sermons: Let’s Talk About Food and Let’s Talk About Health.
GMOs and Bible Prophecy What are GMOs? Since they were not in the food supply until 1994, how could they possibly relate to Bible prophecy? Do GMOs put the USA and others at risk? Here is a related YouTube video GMO Risks and the Bible.
Chimeras: Has Science Crossed the Line? What are chimeras? Has science crossed the line? Does the Bible give any clues? A video of related interest is Half human, half pig: What’s the difference?
Just What Do You Mean — Repentance? Do you know what repentance is? Have you truly repented? Repented of what? Herbert W. Armstrong wrote this as a booklet on this important subject.
Is God’s Existence Logical? Is it really logical to believe in God? Yes! Would you like Christian answers to give atheists? This is a free online booklet that deal with improper theories and musings called science related to the origin of the origin of the universe, the origin of life, and evolution. Two animated videos of related interest are also available: Big Bang: Nothing or Creator? and A Lifegiver or Spontaneous Evolution?
What is Your Destiny? Deification? Did the Early Church Teach That Christians Would Become God? What is your ultimate destiny? What does the Bible teach? Is deification only a weird or cultic idea? Are you to rule the universe? Here is a link to the video sermon What is Your Destiny?
Did Early Christians Believe that Humans Possessed Immortality? What does John 3:16, and other writings, tell us? Did a doctrine kept adopted from paganism? Here is a YouTube video titled Are humans immortal?
Christians: Ambassadors for the Kingdom of God, Biblical instructions on living as a Christian This is a scripture-filled booklet for those wishing to live as a real Christian. A related sermon is also available: Christians are Ambassadors for the Kingdom of God.
Why Were You Born? Why did God make you? Herbert W. Armstrong wrote this as a booklet on this important subject. You may also wish to read the article What is Your Destiny? or watch the video, also titled What is Your Destiny?
Building Character: Going on to Perfection Once you have accepted Jesus, do you need to strive for perfection and build character? A related video sermon is available: Going on to perfection and building character.
What is the Meaning of Life? Who does God say is happy? What is your ultimate destiny? Do you really know? Does God actually have a plan for YOU personally? If you would like to watch videos covering subjects of this article, you can click on the following links: Why YOU? Why Do YOU Suffer? and What is the meaning of your life?
The Gospel of the Kingdom of God This free online pdf booklet has answers many questions people have about the Gospel of the Kingdom of God and explains why it is the solution to the issues the world is facing. Here are links to three related sermons: The World’s False Gospel, The Gospel of the Kingdom: From the New and Old Testaments, and The Kingdom of God is the Solution.
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