Freegans and hard-core recycling have to go one step further. There is now a group of scientists in Japan who have found a way to extract proteins in human excrement into a new a new mix, which also includes soy protein. Here is a video and here is an article (kindly given to me by John S!). So, is this a good way to recycle and to feed the world? Why or why not? Does it challenge your food taboos?
First off no one can read/hear/watch about this and not go ewwww... once. I think this is an amazing advancement in the R&D department. If people could understand the process more and learn that it's just a protein like from red meat thats just recycled I think people would eat this up. Literally and figuratively, people in California are all about this kind of stuff. If this could take hold anywhere it would be California and the very green community. Also as far as I understand this is a Vegetarian/Vegan friendly food. Krysten Pickard 826503
ReplyDeleteI think that this is a great idea. While some might cringe at the idea, I think that it would just take a little disguising and conditioning to accept. After all, after 8 or 10 attempts most aversions can be alleviated, right? It is an infinite resource, and if used on a large scale it would help to reduce our dependency on the farming, slaughtering, and processing of malnourished, deficient animals. With some of the ways the animals that we eat are handled and cared for, and the extreme measures that are taken to make these proteins sanitary at all, is this really that grotesque? I say kudos Japanese scientists! After all, one man's trash can be another man's complete protein source.....
ReplyDeleteAnonymous said...
ReplyDeleteIs it a way to feed the world? Yes
Is it a "GOOD" way to feed the world? No
Do people really need more protein in their diets? I doubt it.
I'm all for trying new things and tasting everything at least once. And, to be honest, I would probably try a slab of good ole fashion poop meat. However, I don't think that the scientists who made this did it for any other reason than just to do it and say they could. There is really no culinary reason to extract protein scraps and pervert it into some type of dog food for humans. Taco Bell has already done a fine job of providing that service.
side thought: could you imagine a family dinner and the mother saying to her son,
"Billy, there will be no ice cream for you until you finish all of you pooploaf."
Bret Lunsford 834521
In my opinion this is just not how i want to eat. I am in no way saying that the idea is bad because it is well thought through i just feel as though it is something that is sick. I do not want to be involved with the idea of eating my own feces. To me, it is weird and unappetizing. I wouldn't want this to be fed to my children therefore i wouldn't want to see this become a normal substitute for food. Not going to lie though, as disgusting as it sounds i almost wish i was brave enough to try it to see what it is like because the idea of being able to recycle is appealing so it would be interesting to see if it is edible. -Helen Morganto
ReplyDeleteI read this article a few weeks back, I find it hilarious and pretty innovative actually. After thinking it over I have to say that perhaps with all the waste that we produce we will have to figure out other ways to find food. It might be a good backup if we continue to destroy the earth at the rate we are. I would have to say as disgusting as it sounds to me, I might have to see it and try it to believe it. I only wonder if they can really pass inspection.
ReplyDeleteRachel 4pm T, Th
I feel that it is a thoughtful idea but i have a hard time seeing it catch on with the way that society looks at human excrement. and yes it does challenge my food Taboos i would never eat anything that is made out of human wast sorry
ReplyDeleteThomas 911327
In my opinion I think this is a great way to recycle and I believe that this could eventualy help end starvation in the world. I think alot of people will have a big problem with it at first do to their own taboos and fears. I personaly don't mind trying new things, but this one would be alittle weird for me. Im not against the idea because I think it could help the world in many ways, but not my first choice at dinner.
ReplyDeleteIt is a horrible way to feed the world! Why can't we just appreciate vegetables in the form of vegetable and turn human excrement into maneur? This is deffinitely challenges my food taboos. By the food did anyone see what the name on the refridgerator said? I feel like this is marketed towards americans as well, keep it in Japan
ReplyDeleteWhen I first heard the idea of "poop meat" I was a little grossed out. However, after reading an article and watching a video on this topic, it became less disturbing. I think it is a very innovative way to deal with all the waste we have. It is a good way to recycle. I would not feed the world this unless there was a serious shortage of meat. It probably is not that great for you nutritiously even if it is made out of extracted protein. It is still an artificial meat and who wants to eat that unless they absolutely had to?
ReplyDeleteKelly McClure said...
ReplyDeleteI think that this is a way to feed the world, but it grosses me out! Although it is an alternative, it's defiantly not something that I myself would chose to eat over the other nutritious delicious foods that are out there. Why eat poop when we can just eat meat? And for those who don't want to eat meat there are too many vegetarian options to replace with recycled human waste! This would defiantly be a food taboo for me! As for the rest of the world, I think people would benefit from it. After all food is food when you can't be picky.
Of course to many of us this is very taboo. However I must say the advancement in technology for being able to make this is mind-blowing! Do I believe it will ever truly hit the market and selling like regular meat? Absolutely not! Not only for the reason the most of the world won’t even consider eating their own poop, where they know whom it came from, but let alone someone else’s. Not only is that a great scare but the price being ten time the amount of real meat. Yes, I know they said the price will go down once the research is concluded, but only to around the same price as real meat. Honestly, if you were standing in the store decide on real meat or poop meat for about the same price, which would you choose?
ReplyDeleteI don't disapprove of this advancement, who can deny that it is so impressive, but just not quite realistic. Maybe if the research continues and the price for poop meat is significantly lower than expected, then perhaps we can use it to solve a greater problem, Hunger.
Jacqueline Campolargo 867148
Now, let's be perfect honest with ourselves. What is more stigmatized in our culture than feces? Poop is the brunt of many jokes, an offensive odor, and the cause of a veritable slew of diseases. It's gross. Now, that may not be exhibiting "cultural relativism," but even so, I'm fairly sure that tribes and civilizations, developing and developed countries alike avoid this bodily excretion at any cost. However, now this notion is being challenged. That is what I find so exciting about this bizarre product. This isn't altogether different, at the end of the day, then what, say, Chefs Wylie Dufresne and Ferran Adria are doing now with avant garde cuisine. The very notiion of shrimp noodles is pretty "out there," yet Chef Dufresne's use of transglutanimase--a.k.a. meat glue--is revolutionary (and I hear it's awful tasty too). If we aren't challenging the conventions of cooking, we become complacent. This may be unconventional, even downright offensive to some, but I find it bold, daring, and exciting. If this "poop meat" is streamlined, then who knows the social implications it could have? Meat alternatives for vegetarians, full fledged sustainability, and more. I say "good on you!" to these daring scientists, and, to quote a famous astronaut: "To infinity and beyond!"
ReplyDelete-Matt Sporer
MS881984
I understand that this synthetic “meat” is safe to consume when cooked properly, and sure it a cool IDEA. But there is just a point where doing things like this crosses a “line”, and that line has definitely been crossed in this case. Not just through one’s mental aversion towards the eating of “feces”, but it crosses the line of absurdity, it truly is a complete waste of time. I am absolutely sure that brilliant scientists like this could put their brains to more important topics such as cancer, Alzheimer’s, Epilepsy, global warming, to name a few. There is no shortage of meat at the moment, and surely there are other ways of getting protein, EAT TOFU!!! Put less thought into the poop burger and more thought into what actually matters in today’s day in age.
ReplyDeleteJacob Sattler 851713
JS851713@mycia.net
Hearing technology create meat with individual’s excrement, this sounds horrific to the thought. The public would hear of this and would daunt over the whole process, this is why you have to look at it closely to understand the point of why they are making this a possibility. Making this possible of recycling our poop is genius. Having such an idea come to the public would help decrease money in butchering animals and decrease the toxic gases produced by slaughter factories.
ReplyDeleteIn the profit department it will charge a significant amount of money for such a creation. By reducing and recycling the world has become eco friendly.
The only doubts about this product is with such high content of protein it will make the majority of the world become obese. The world does not need obese people even if scientists create recyclable meat.
AP875145
As disgusting as the subject of this article is, the idea of recombining the lipids, proteins, fat, and carbohydrates found in stools is actually very clever. It shows the technological advancement of manipulating certain things in the industry. Its just like molecular gastronomy. Your manipulating certain ingredients with chemicals, and changing the whole ingredients flavor, body, texture. I bet if you were told that it was something else, you'd actually enjoy it.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely disgusting. I don't know anyone who would even think about putting that meat anywhere near their mouth. I could understand if there was a shortage of meat, this may be ONE of the POSSIBLE ways to make up that shortage. but it will be put on the market first, more expensive than meat. it will never sell. even later at the same price as meat. it will still never sell. this is a discussing idea, and this process could be used to turn people into vegetarians. I think that the idea WILL NEVER work in the US, but in other countries, i don't know their cultures that well. Still, no matter where you go, it is crossing that moral border line.
ReplyDeleteThere's a lot of thought and debate that can definately go into this topic of the "Turd Burger". It is an insightful way to make a different source of protein and meat that isn't really meat, but at the same time are people really going to want to eat a "meat" that came from....well, poop. Also, the fact of these scientists creating this "poop meat" is kind of a way of going against the norm. The norm being, people getting their meat from any animals that are local to that part of the world. The fact that they are getting it from people (their excrement in particular) and creating a "meat" from it doesn't seem like something that will be readily accepted by most people. But in the broad spectrum, it could definately be used to solve bigger issues that plague the world. Famine in particular. But we'll have to wait and see how these "Turd Burgers" come into play.
ReplyDeleteNM869430
Poop Meat or not poop meat- Thats the question
ReplyDeleteWell lets start off which a few simple questions..
1. Will it help our food dependent world and help fight world hunger and inhuman animal practices.
2. Would people eat it or would they just throw up once they are told what it is?
3. How much and how hard is it to do this process for the Masses, would it be effective?
4. And lastly is humanly right to do? after all it is our waste.
After weighing the pros and cons and taking much time to actually think about it, i really don't know if i'm leaning to the yes or absolutely no side. But thinking about what this can do for some countries and really thinking about what it can do to other countries like ours, i just don't know.
But the last point of my argument would have to be: is this really what we're coming to, i can maybe see this as a last resort.
So who knows sometime in the near future you go to your favorite restaurant and your order a Med-rare "baby" or Kobe hah poop burger and a artisan onion brioche bun which some human fat fries!
When first hearing about "poop meat" I thought it was a joke. After researching and looking into the process of this new meal it was shocking.
ReplyDeleteIs this a good way to recycle and feed the world?
I would have to say no. I believe that there are other ways to get the right amount of nutrients you need from foods than recycling human excrements. As much time as it is taking the scientists' to figure out the way that it will work they can spend their time more usefully learning how to grow more food.
Does this challenge my food taboos?
Yes, it does. I have a hard time to believe that they the scientist will be able to get this meat to pass inspection and for it to be 100% safe to eat!
Yes, I said I would try nearly everything in class discussion, but "poop meat" may be going too far.
AR829604
Hearing technology create meat with individual’s excrement, this sounds horrific to the thought. The public would hear of this and would daunt over the whole process, this is why you have to look at it closely to understand the point of why they are making this a possibility. Making this possible of recycling our poop is genius. Having such an idea come to the public would help decrease money in butchering animals and decrease the toxic gases produced by slaughter factories.
ReplyDeleteIn the profit department it will charge a significant amount of money for such a creation. By reducing and recycling the world has become eco friendly.
The only doubts about this product is with such high content of protein it will make the majority of the world become obese. The world does not need obese people even if scientists create recyclable meat.
AP875145
Well, as far as i'm concerned I think this is an ingenious way to recycle, however, not very conventional. We don't have much of a human waste disposal problem nor do we have a protein. This would be an amazing idea for places that are food deserts or do not get sufficient protein. It would be a funny thing to bring to the US as something to test the limits of food just like in Japan. For example, in Japan they have a plethora of almost "gag" foods such as beef ice cream or fermented fish cupcake icing. It does not challenge my taboos because I am someone that will try just about anything. As somone who has eatten fermented products, extremely smelly foods, snails, chicken feet, snake, cows blood, and etc I see this new "poop meat" almost as a challenge.
ReplyDelete791200
Eating food that is considered taboo is subjective to peoples morals and culture. I personally would never consume any kind of human excrement no matter how much protein or nutrients it may have. It is against my morals and beliefs to consume poop. I think it is repulsive because it can carry dangerous diseases and where it comes from. I honestly feel this product should be band. I feel that it is important to stay true to your beliefs and value your opinion.
ReplyDeleteRegardless of what is "taken out" or added, poop meat is poop meat. This product wont sell in the market at all. If the people were informed about the origin of the meat no would even try it. Another important factor is how would one classify the meat? Could it be vegan? I doubt it because one would have to go back to see what the person actually ate and see if contains any meat proteins in it. Is this a great idea? I think absolutely think not.
ReplyDeleteThis was an interesting article that could be useful.....but as is expensive i would rather eat meat. But if the so end of the world is coming and we are in bunkers it would be a great idea to stay alive. If we do not need it in order to stay alive i think that meat is a better source of food. Even with the animals that eat their own poo I think that as humans that we do not need to eat poo at this point in time.
ReplyDeleteJoe Maglione
Eating Burgers made of poop may be considered a taboo because we are taught that poop goes down the toilet and isn't used for human consumption. Some cultures may find this okay because if its something your used to or grew up with, it wouldn't be viewed as weird or taboo.
ReplyDeleteRather than spending all the time and energey turning poop into meat don't you think it could have been put to better use? i could see if it was somthing other than poop that was being turned into something eadable i just don't see to much of a benefit and i definitely don't see this catching on anytime soon.
ReplyDelete