# Eating without killing **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 3, 2020, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-without-killing/927063 "2020-12-03T02:41:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![glowacks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/glowacks/32/5548_2.png) [@glowacks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glowacks)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2020, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-without-killing/927063/21 "2020-12-03T04:02:54Z")
There certainly have been people, and perhaps there still are, that have refused to eat anything other than fruit, because that’s the only thing that gets made which is “intended” to be eaten by something else. Fruit have effectively evolved to be eaten in order to disperse the plant’s seeds more effectively, but pretty much any other part of a planet has not been “designed” that way. However, a good case might also be made for ethically-produced milk based on what breeds of cows exist now. Cattle have been bred so as to vastly overproduce the amount of milk they would need to supply their calves, so in some sense it is doing the cows a favor to milk them. Others may argue that we shouldn’t have bred cows to be like that, so such a product is tainted. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2020, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-without-killing/927063/22 "2020-12-03T04:08:47Z")
> [@Didi44](#): > > Bird’s nest soup tastes (delicously) fishy because…ta da…the birds primary diet is fish! Well, no. The nests are made by [Edible-nest Swiftlets](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edible-nest_swiftlet) and some related species, which feed on small flying insects. Farming birds’ nests has become a boom industry in Malaysia, and you see [specially built “swift houses”](https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg22229660-100-nested-interests-a-bespoke-farm-for-edible-bird-nests/) all over the place. ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2020, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-without-killing/927063/23 "2020-12-03T04:09:07Z")
Follow up that I meant to put in my previous post with # 2, but missed the editing window. 2.5 Other ‘scavenged’ foods This follows the food that you acquire without causing death, although it is dead. The easiest, and most ethical option I would think of is the many varieties of edible seaweed that wash up on the beach. Yes it is dead, or was killed, but though no action by humans (well, leaving out possible environmental change). ---
**Author:** ![Didi44](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47c2d/32.png) [@Didi44](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Didi44)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2020, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-without-killing/927063/24 "2020-12-03T04:10:24Z")
As you stated, agree about salt since you’re talking about naturally occurring salt mines but even in the Dead Sea, microorganisms live in the water, so it’s possible there’s some undiscovered lifeform in the salt mines. Roadkill doesn’t have to be killed by a human. It could have been or greatly injured by another animal and died at the exact moment the accident occurred. Either way, just as tasty. ---
**Author:** ![Didi44](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47c2d/32.png) [@Didi44](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Didi44)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2020, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-without-killing/927063/25 "2020-12-03T04:21:15Z")
Maybe _flying fish_? 😛 I once again stand corrected and humbled. Whenever I’ve seen videos of people collecting them, it’s always in caves near the ocean. Ignorance successfully fought! 😅 Andrew Zimmern states the the fishy taste is because: “Male birds gorge themselves on seaweed, which causes them to salivate like a Labradoodle at a picnic.” “[Bizarre Bites: Bird's Nest Soup - Andrew Zimmern](https://andrewzimmern.com/bizarre-bites-birds-nest-soup/#:~:text=Spit%20Soup,soup%20falls%20into%20that%20category.&text=They%20offer%20a%20sea%2Dsalty,saliva%2C%20spewdom%2C%20and%20droppings.)” ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2020, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-without-killing/927063/26 "2020-12-03T04:34:43Z")
That just shows you shouldn’t rely on a chef for information about birds. That account is a remarkable compendium of misinformation and total nonsense. The nests of the Edible-nest Swiftlet is valued so highly because it is made solely from saliva; it does not contain seaweed, moss, feathers or anything else. (Other species of swiftlet do incorporate other material, which makes their nests much less valuable.) Swiftlets do nest in sea caves, but most sites are inland. ---
**Author:** ![Didi44](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47c2d/32.png) [@Didi44](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Didi44)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2020, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-without-killing/927063/27 "2020-12-03T04:53:40Z")
Don’t know where you read that Zimmern stated that it contains seaweed, just that the seaweed causes them to salivate more. Also, all the prep instructions I’ve ever seen or read about preparing bird’s nest specify it has to be carefully cleaned of small feathers, eggshells and dirt that occur naturally. Adding the the cost of the final dish. Presale: "" **Conventional Cleaning Process** Generally, the harvested edible bird’s nests (EBN) consist of impurities like sand, feathers, egg shells, etc. The conventional cleaning process involves the immersion of nests in water and allowing them to swell. This enables an easy separation of the large feathers from the nest matrix by using forceps. However, care must be taken regarding the elution of the water soluble nutrients in EBN. For the removal of the remaining small feathers, sometimes vegetable oil is used to float the feathers. However, addition of some bleaching agents like hydrogen peroxide to bleach the EBN has been carried out by some producers." [https://www.premiumnest.com.au/birds-nest-cleaning-process/](https://www.premiumnest.com.au/birds-nest-cleaning-process/) Post sale: “ **Step 2:** Use a pointed tweezer to carefully pluck out the tiny feathers and dirt in between the layers. Be careful not to press or separate the layers too much with your fingers, it could easily disintegrate.” [hellonests.com/english/how-to-cook-bird-nest-soup.html?filter\_tag=how%20to%20clean%20bird%20nest#:~:text=How%20to%20clean%20bird’s%20nest%20feather%20before%20cooking%20at%20home,layers%20have%20softened%20and%20expanded.&text=Step%202%3A%20Use%20a%20pointed,dirt%20in%20between%20the%20layers.](https://hellonests.com/english/how-to-cook-bird-nest-soup.html?filter_tag=how%20to%20clean%20bird%20nest#:~:text=How%20to%20clean%20bird's%20nest%20feather%20before%20cooking%20at%20home,layers%20have%20softened%20and%20expanded.&text=Step%202%3A%20Use%20a%20pointed,dirt%20in%20between%20the%20layers.) ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2020, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-without-killing/927063/28 "2020-12-03T04:58:36Z")
> [@Jillena](#): > > I suppose it’s a debate as to what can be eaten on the right side of moral, causing no pain, nor death. What about meat grown in a vat? Nothing living is killed, or even harmed. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2020, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-without-killing/927063/29 "2020-12-03T05:09:47Z")
> [@Didi44](#): > > Don’t know where you read that Zimmern stated that it contains seaweed, just that the seaweed causes them to salivate more. It’s right in the article. > [@Andrew Zimmern](#): > > These industrious birds use a mixture of _ **seaweed** _, twigs, moss, hair, and feathers to fashion the nest. This is total rubbish as far as the Edible-nest Swiftlet goes. The bit about the male bird eating seaweed is also a total fabrication. The nests do contain impurities, but the birds do not deliberately incorporate other materials. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2020, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-without-killing/927063/30 "2020-12-03T05:21:04Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > Now wait a minute, I think we can at least agree that PETA is a ridiculous group and should be laughed at only. Not the PETA I’m a member of. _‘People Eating Tasty Animals’_ Grab a beer and a plate. I gots plenty. ---
**Author:** ![Didi44](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47c2d/32.png) [@Didi44](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Didi44)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2020, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-without-killing/927063/31 "2020-12-03T06:06:50Z")
It’s created from cells which make up every living thing. So technically when you eat the “meat” you’re eating the stuff of life. Now if they could make meat out of crystals, no dilemma…or is there? The original _Andromeda Strain_ anyone? ---
**Author:** ![Jillena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e495f1/32.png) [@Jillena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jillena)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2020, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-without-killing/927063/32 "2020-12-03T06:24:31Z")
Hmmm Very interesting! ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2020, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-without-killing/927063/33 "2020-12-03T06:27:45Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > Mushrooms are the fruiting bodies of fungi, and it doesn’t kill the organism to harvest them. > > Bird’s nest soup. The nests are made out of hardened saliva. > > Placenta. > > I will note that nuts are seeds and are alive (before roasting or drying). They must be killed to be consumed. Likewise grains. Also many vegetables are killed when they are harvested. And, of course, fruit. And honey. Well managed bees produce far more honey than they need. And arguably milk can be harvested without killing anything, although of course the cows kill grass, grain, and small animals that they trample. ---
**Author:** ![BippityBoppityBoo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bippityboppityboo/32/5745_2.png) [@BippityBoppityBoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BippityBoppityBoo)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2020, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-without-killing/927063/34 "2020-12-03T06:31:04Z")
Human breast milk. Baby humans have been eating it for eons, symbiotic. How the mother gets the necessary nutrients to make the milk is a whole ‘nother problem. So, I win. Human breast milk. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2020, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-without-killing/927063/35 "2020-12-03T06:38:05Z")
> [@ParallelLines](#): > > Certainly, we’re already killing tons of microbial life every time we eat a fruiting body, unless you’ve freshly scrubbed it with enough chemicals to create a negative health value from your fresh apple. We’re killing tons of microbial life every time we poop. ---
**Author:** ![Didi44](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47c2d/32.png) [@Didi44](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Didi44)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2020, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-without-killing/927063/36 "2020-12-03T06:55:38Z")
Nope. Ask just about any mother who’s nursed and they’ll tell you about the pain of overloaded breasts, chapped nipples and baby sucking a little too hard when they’re really hungry or mom’s a little dry. And if they continue through teething…! Dang! I know too much for a guy! 😅 ---
**Author:** ![BippityBoppityBoo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bippityboppityboo/32/5745_2.png) [@BippityBoppityBoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BippityBoppityBoo)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2020, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-without-killing/927063/37 "2020-12-03T06:59:35Z")
> [@Didi44](#): > > Nope. Ask just about any mother who’s nursed and they’ll tell you about the pain of overloaded breasts, chapped nipples and baby sucking a little too hard when they’re really hungry or mom’s a little dry. And if they continue through teething…! The question was ‘without’ killing. ---
**Author:** ![BippityBoppityBoo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bippityboppityboo/32/5745_2.png) [@BippityBoppityBoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BippityBoppityBoo)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2020, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-without-killing/927063/38 "2020-12-03T07:04:20Z")
> [@Didi44](#): > > Dang! I know too much for a guy! 😅 With all due respect, you don’t know as much as you think. But then I knew this would be coming. I don’t need to ‘just ask a mother’ who has breast fed. \*\* I am a mother\*\* who breastfed a total of more than 10 years, I’m a nurse who worked for years with newborns and a certified Lactation Educator. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2020, 7:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-without-killing/927063/39 "2020-12-03T07:08:01Z")
> [@Didi44](#): > > It’s created from cells which make up every living thing. So technically when you eat the “meat” you’re eating the stuff of life. “Stuff of life”? What are you talking about? Plants are alive, too-are they of the “stuff of life”(Whatever that is)? ---
**Author:** ![Jillena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e495f1/32.png) [@Jillena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jillena)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2020, 7:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-without-killing/927063/40 "2020-12-03T07:12:02Z")
Hahaha yes it was silly tee hee [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-without-killing/927063.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-without-killing/927063.md?page=3)