Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Italy moves to ban lab-grown meat to protect food heritage

bbc.co.uk

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

91–100 of 474 posts

Re: Italy moves to ban lab-grown meat to protect food heritage

#91

Post by jacquesm »

sokoloff wrote: post #18
deergomoo wrote: post #13

This seems no different than the ridiculous laws proposed in some US states recently that would ban EV sales to protect the oil and gas industries. I’m sorry that people could one day lose jobs over this, but if lab-grown meat is proven to be a safe and cost/energy/carbon efficient alternative to raising and killing animals, then it would be insane to not pursue that.

We could have equally banned internal combustion engines to protect the steam engine and buggy whip industries or phase change refrigeration to protect the jobs of the ice delivery companies.

Not quite a ban on ICEs but nevertheless analog attempts were made:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_flag_traffic_laws

These laws didn't last long, fortunately, and ostensibly they were to protect cattle, horses and carriage riders but clearly the idea was to slow the car down to the speed of a pedestrian effectively hobbling it to the point that driving a car didn't make sense.

Re: Italy moves to ban lab-grown meat to protect food heritage

#92

Post by VoodooJuJu »

Just seems like grandstanding, but it's a strange issue to grandstand over.

Lab-grown meat isn't even remotely competitive with real meat, neither economically, nor aesthetically, nor nutritionally. The differentiating selling point for lab-grown is "cruelty-free", and the largest cohort who this selling point appeals to is vegans, who are a relatively small cohort anyway. Real meat and lab-grown aren't even in the same market - they're each targeting completely different prospects.

Does the Italian government seriously think it's a threat?

Re: Italy moves to ban lab-grown meat to protect food heritage

#93

Post by 9dev »

nemo44x wrote: post #67
9dev wrote: post #63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This whole insect flour debate is so braindead. We have billions of people to feed. Dried and shredded insects provide a great protein yield, can be produced incredibly efficient, and aren’t as destructive to the planet as lifestock. Many cultures have been consuming insects for ages. There is nothing unsafe, unnatural, or otherwise „bad“ about using insects for food - other than an embarrassing, unreflective revulsi…

My culture doesn’t consume insects and we don’t intend to start.

Why don’t you intend to? Care to explain your rationale?

Re: Italy moves to ban lab-grown meat to protect food heritage

#94

Post by TrispusAttucks »

9dev wrote: post #63
nemo44x wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am not Italian but think it’s a step in the right direction, but overreaches. I think they should make it law that synthetic meat can’t be called “meat” and that insect ‘flour’ can’t be called “flour”. And should have to be prefaced with “unnatural food product” or similar on all sides of packaging.

This whole insect flour debate is so braindead. We have billions of people to feed. Dried and shredded insects provide a great protein yield, can be produced incredibly efficient, and aren’t as destructive to the planet as lifestock. Many cultures have been consuming insects for ages. There is nothing unsafe, unnatural, or otherwise „bad“ about using insects for food - other than an embarrassing, unreflective revulsi…

This isn't true.

There are valid health concerns of insect based "meat" and insect derived flour. Including: higher baseline contamination of harmful bacteria, high levels of arsenic, questionable nutritional value, digestive issues with the hardshells common to the types of insects used for these products.

Re: Italy moves to ban lab-grown meat to protect food heritage

#97

Post by hdhrufjdi »

9dev wrote: post #83
wiz21c wrote: post #60

Less meat but better meat (yeah, provided it's not junk meat disguized in "heritage"-dress) , I can vote for that.

Only this isn’t less meat. It’s don’t change anything, I want to keep making money and not having to think.

> It’s don’t change anything,

This all lab grown meat is about (for the consumers)

Re: Italy moves to ban lab-grown meat to protect food heritage

#98

Post by mschuster91 »

jacquesm wrote: post #91
sokoloff wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We could have equally banned internal combustion engines to protect the steam engine and buggy whip industries or phase change refrigeration to protect the jobs of the ice delivery companies.

Not quite a ban on ICEs but nevertheless analog attempts were made: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_flag_traffic_laws These laws didn't last long, fortunately, and ostensibly they were to protect cattle, horses and carriage riders but clearly the idea was to slow the car down to the speed of a pedestrian effectively hobbling it to the point that driving a car didn't make sense.

For what it's worth: this would still make sense today. It's insane how modern cities restrict the freedom and safety of people just so that a few people can drive SUVs more resembling a tank than a car in a city. Shit like Rezvani Vengeance should not exist, period.

It's insane that the top leader in accidental death of children and adolescents involves automobiles [1].

[1] https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/001915.htm

Re: Italy moves to ban lab-grown meat to protect food heritage

#99

Post by unixgoddess »

deergomoo wrote: post #13

This seems no different than the ridiculous laws proposed in some US states recently that would ban EV sales to protect the oil and gas industries. I’m sorry that people could one day lose jobs over this, but if lab-grown meat is proven to be a safe and cost/energy/carbon efficient alternative to raising and killing animals, then it would be insane to not pursue that.

[flagged]

Re: Italy moves to ban lab-grown meat to protect food heritage

#100

Post by quenix »

9dev wrote: post #93
nemo44x wrote: post #67

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My culture doesn’t consume insects and we don’t intend to start.

Why don’t you intend to? Care to explain your rationale?

It's gross. That's it. Why should I, or anyone else, have to explain personal food choices to you? If finding insect-eating to be repulsive is embedded in a culture, who are you to question it or demand change/an explanation?
Post reply on HN