In the Age of Lab-Grown Animal Protein; We Need to Redefine the Term “Vegan”

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably heard: Scientists are now able to grow animal protein in a lab..

In fact, one such venture, Perfect Day, has already made it to market with their “vegan” dairy products.

How does this impact the vegan community?

Are these products still considered vegan, or do we need clarification? Will this “change the world” like it’s being touted?



I’m Sorry, but Lab-Grown Meat and Dairy Aren’t Vegan.. or Are They?

First, I want to make one thing clear: I love the movement toward lab-grown animal products.

We all know that animal agriculture is destroying the planet.. And yet no one seems to be able to skip the meat? Talk about a first-world problem.

Fortunately, this lab-grown push for animal protein is showing a lot of promise. We can, in theory, circumvent all animal involvement.. Cutting emissions, land, and water use in a fraction.

How big of an impact would cultured meat make?

We’re talking a:

Talk about changing the world!

Speaking of land use, you know the Amazon rainforest? The one everyone’s freaking out about burning down? Surprise, surprise, it’s being burned to make room for grazing cattle.

The biggest caveat?

These stats compare traditionally raised and processed meat with lab-cultured meat… This is not comparing a vegan diet to lab-grown.

This, however, brings us to our real question: Are lab-grown animal proteins even considered vegan?

Unfortunately the answer isn’t that simple.

First, let’s take a look at Oxford’s definition of “vegan”:

Oxford's Definition a person who does not eat or use animal products.

By this definition: lab-grown meats don’t count as vegan. Specifically; the phrasing “animal products” makes it clear.. Vegans shouldn’t consume anything an animal makes.

For example, the lab-grown dairy? They’re artificially creating both casein and whey protein.. Both of which are only found in milk. (Not to mention casein’s link to cancer)

Yet, Oxford isn’t the end-all-be-all of definitions. Let’s look at another:

Vegan Society's Definition Veganism is a way of living which seeks to exclude, as far as is possible and practicable, all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose.

According to this definition, lab-grown animal products would be vegan as no animals were involved in its creation.

And this, my friends, is the conundrum of the 21st century vegan. Literally never before has this been an issue, but now we’re overdue for a redefinition.

My Solution for Lab-Cultured Animal Product Brands?

Stop marketing lab-grown animal proteins as vegan. That’s all I’m asking.

Sure, call them “animal-free”, but using the term vegan is meant to deceive and confuse naive customers.

For example, let’s imagine a woman named Dorothy who’s been vegan since 1973.

She shops at Whole Foods on a regular basis, keen on finding the newest vegan goodies.

“What’s this?” she asks as she lifts up Perfect Day’s ice cream.

“Vegan dairy? Must be new!”

She gets the ice cream home, and that night sits down to enjoy some dessert.

Unfortunately, 30 minutes after eating a scoop, she’s overcome with extreme intestinal discomfort.

“That’s odd, I haven’t had a stomach age since Gerald Ford was President!”

Unfortunately, Dorothy is extremely lactose intolerant (along with 65% of humanity). Her frail body couldn’t take it and she ends up being hospitalized.

Is this far-fetched?

Absolutely not.

If your use of the word “vegan” doesn’t actually mean dairy-free for the first time ever, it’s up to you to give that warning. There will be consequences, and people aren’t going to be happy when they get sick.

Lab-Cultured Animal Products: Stick to Your Original Target Audience

Listen, I don’t know where Perfect Day got the terrible idea to market a non-vegan item to vegans.. But they’re delusional. And VegNews is just as sick for pushing this on us a “new vegan item”.

Where did they go wrong?

Lab-Grown meat was never meant to be marketed toward vegans.

In fact, every company up to this point made it clear their target audience is meat-eaters. Lab grown beef isn’t trying to knock vegans off the bandwagon.

They are trying to replace the average American’s beef-burger with something cultured in a lab… And that’s fabulous!

Like I said before, we can’t force the world to go vegan (even if that’s what the environment needs).

The next best solution?

Switch out the majority of American’s meals with animal-free alternatives.

Y’all still get your meat, and we get to live on the earth without a massive ecological collapse.

That’s a win-win in my book!

In the end, I have no problem with lab-grown animal products.. In fact, I think it’s what this world desperately needs. What we don’t need? Non-vegan companies trying to deceive vegans for their own selfish gain.

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