Category Archives: science

Ethics of the World’s First Synthetic Burger

Posted on August 5, 2013 by Chris MacDonald

So, the world’s first synthetic burger has been cultured, minced, fried and consumed. (Mark Post, the scientist who conceived of and grew the synthetic burger, had announced a year and a half ago his near-term intention to produce and test … Continue reading →

Posted in agriculture, animal rights, animal welfare, biotechnology, ethics, factory farms, meat, natural, science | 4 Comments

Bigger Birds

Posted on November 22, 2012 by Chris MacDonald

Innovation isn’t always good for everyone. See this blog entry about how artificial insemination has allowed the turkey industry to triple the average size of a turkey over the last 50 years: Give Thanks? Science Supersized Your Turkey Dinner. (The … Continue reading →

Posted in agriculture, animal welfare, breeding, factory farms, meat, science | Comments Off on Bigger Birds

Who Wants Test-Tube Meat?

Posted on March 10, 2012 by Chris MacDonald

Sonja Puzic, for CTVNews.ca, asks: Would you eat meat grown in a test tube? When a Dutch scientist declared last month that he could have the world’s first lab-grown hamburger on the grill by October, the Internet was abuzz with … Continue reading →

Posted in agriculture, animal welfare, biotechnology, genetic modification, GMO, industrial, meat, science, synthetic meat, values | Comments Off on Who Wants Test-Tube Meat?

Would You Like Your Synthetic Meat GM or Non-GM?

Posted on January 30, 2011 by Chris MacDonald

This news story is not exactly news. We already know that synthetic meat is under development in various labs around the world. But it does raise a fresh issue or two. By Harriet McLeo, for Reuters: South Carolina scientist works … Continue reading →

Posted in animal welfare, biotechnology, ethics, genes, GMO, industrial, meat, natural, science, synthetic meat, values | 9 Comments

Endangered Dinner DNA

Posted on November 1, 2010 by Chris MacDonald

Earlier this month, the print version of Popular Science ran a really interesting story on using genetic technology to fight the traffic in endangered species. Here’s the web version: Is Your Dinner Endangered? DNA Detectives Investigate In the ongoing campaign … Continue reading →

Posted in endangered species, environment, fisheries, genes, international, regulation, science | Comments Off on Endangered Dinner DNA

Water-Efficient Maize and Alternative Models for GM Seeds

Posted on October 21, 2010 by Chris MacDonald

Yesterday’s blog entry (“In Praise of Industrialized Food”) pointed out that we shouldn’t discount entirely the value and potential of mass-produced food simply because so much of the mass-produced food currently available leaves much to be desired, nutritionally. Today’s is … Continue reading →

Posted in agriculture, biotechnology, ethics, farmers, genetic modification, GMO, science | Comments Off on Water-Efficient Maize and Alternative Models for GM Seeds

In Praise of Industrialized Food

Posted on October 20, 2010 by Chris MacDonald

Check out this piece, by Rachel Laudan, in the Utne Reader: In Praise of Fast Food. (It’s worth noting right up front that the title of the piece is misleading. It’s not a defense of fast food, in the McDonalds … Continue reading →

Posted in agriculture, ethics, factory farms, fast food, health, industrial, junk food, labour, natural, science, values | 2 Comments

Salmonella in Eggs, Rabies in Dogs

Posted on September 27, 2010 by Chris MacDonald

It’s good to have the occasional reminder that food safety is an issue everywhere. See this item, by By Donald G. McNeil Jr. for NYT Health: Vitenam: With Rabies Deaths on the Rise, a Menu Item Gets a Closer Look. … Continue reading →

Posted in health, international, meat, safety, science | Comments Off on Salmonella in Eggs, Rabies in Dogs

Health Foods, Junk Foods — All Processed

Posted on September 27, 2010 by Chris MacDonald

Nestlé (the food manufacturing giant based in Switzerland) has just announced its plan to expand into the realm of health food. According to the NYT: Nestlé announced the creation of Nestlé Health Science as well as a research body, the … Continue reading →

Posted in health claims, industrial, junk food, nutrition, science | 3 Comments

Should Grandma Drink Bottled Water?

Posted on September 4, 2010 by Chris MacDonald

Here’s a thought about health warnings related to foods and food packaging. A few months ago my grandmother told me she had stopped drinking bottled water. Why? Because she had heard on the news that there are chemicals in plastic … Continue reading →

Posted in consumerism, elderly, kids, labeling, media, safety, science, water | Comments Off on Should Grandma Drink Bottled Water?