General shmeat questions

Factual Questions
1

I saw the term “shmeat” on the Dope the other day; I didn’t know vat-grown meat was called this. It’s so much fun to say: shmeat shmeat shmeat. But anyway…

I want to do an article on kosher laws, and how they might apply to shmeat, but I need to clear up a few things first. Are the cells taken from a dead animal or a live one? How is the process supposed to work? Also, general info will be appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

2

No one?

3

Does vat-grown meat actually exist in sufficient quantities that it can be sold as food? I was under the impression that that was in the future (though I had seen mention of growing it for medical purposes).

So how would kosher/halal/etc laws apply to vat-grown meat? When would the meat be considered to be ‘killed’? When the blood was drained? Does vat-grown meat even have blood? Got any links?

4

No. AFAICT, the largest “hunk” of schmeat yet grown is about the size of a fingernail.

They’re taken from living tissue, but by the time it gets in your mouth all the cells from the donor animal will be long dead.

I believe the process is as follows:

  1. Take living muscle cell
  2. Stick in petri dish
  3. Encourage cell to replicate using hormone therapy
  4. Burger!

ETA: I may have some of that wrong. IANA biologist, geneticist, or any other kind of -ist.