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PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) activists, from left, Filipino Katrina Lugartos, American national Istara Bon Gundry, and Canadian Ashley Fruno, clad partly with fresh lettuce, hold placards as they protest at a square in Manila, Philippines, Friday April 18, 2008. The activists, protesting ahead of the global celebration of Earth Day next week, alleged in their statement that "meat production has a devastating impact on the environment" and urged people to go vegetarian instead. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo) |
BEIJING, April 22 (Xinhuanet) -- An animal rights groupis offering amillion-dollar reward to any participant that couldmanage by 2012 to put test-tube chicken into commercial production and successfully sell them in at least 10states in U.S. at a competitive price, media repoted Tuesday.
"In-vitro meat production would use animal stem cells that would be placed in a medium to grow and reproduce. The result would mimic flesh and could be cooked and eaten," People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) said in a statement.
"More than 40 billion chickens, fish, pigs, and cows are killed every year for food in the United States in horrific ways," it said in the statement.
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Policewomen escort Lana Wendt (R) and Kristi-Anna Brydon (C) after police stopped a topless demonstration by People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) at Circular Quay in Sydney Feb. 27, 2008. The animal liberation group was drawing attention to the Running of the Bulls event in Pamplona, Spain, which PETA says is cruel to the animals.(Photo: chinadaily.com.cn/Agencies) |
"In-vitro meat would spare animals from this suffering. In addition, in vitro meat would dramatically reduce the devastating effects the meat industry has on the environment."
And it added since many people "refuse to kick their meat addictions, PETA is willing to help them gain access to flesh that doesn't cause suffering and death."
Teams of researchers around the world are already working on producing meat in a laboratory, but it will be several years yet before in-vitro meat makes it onto the dinner table.
A team of 10 PETA jurors will taste the entries to make sure they match the texture and flavor of chicken, and they must score at least 80 out of 100 points to win the prize.
(Agencies)
