We’re bound to see more of these sorts of announcements as time goes by. A U.S. company has received a patent for a process to produce real milk from cultured cow mammary cells. Does this development represent a boon or a dilemma for vegetarians and vegans?
Head ’em up, pump ’em out: In the Dairy Barn. Twice a day, every day…
I remember, back when I was younger, more brash and combative, how I’d get into ‘discussions’ with vegetarians and vegans about their dietary choices on purpose. I realize now that it wasn’t fair because I never had any intention of engaging in a positive, constructive argument. I just wanted to bait them and reap the pleasure of zinging them with my indisputable logic.
Nothing with eyes
“I won’t eat anything with eyes,” some used to say, defending their belief that anything with eyes has a soul. I didn’t believe it then, but I kind of do now. I try not get into discussions with myself about that.
“You eat potatoes, right?” I’d tease. “Potatoes have eyes!” ZINGGG.
That didn’t make me any friends. But, then again, I wasn’t all that upset by the thought that they’d never invite me over to their house for one of their soulless dinners. Now, with the benefit of decades of experience and hindsight, I’ve some to appreciate the view of indigenous, tribal cultures around the world, that a great, overarching spirit imbues everything with a soul: plants, rocks, and especially flowing water. It’s a fascinating notion, one that challenges the very concept of ‘spirit’ and ‘soul’ at the foundation of all ‘modern’ religions.
Anyway, that’s not a subject for a food blog.
A more complex issue
Some vegetarians will drink milk and eat dairy products such as cheese, butter, yogurt and ice cream. They rationalize that no harm comes to the actual cow (or sheep, or goat, or yak, or whatever) from milking it. But vegans and non-lacto vegetarians argue that, because dairy cows must be kept pregnant to keep producing milk, they’re being exploited. And because their calves are taken away from them almost at the moment of birth, they and their offspring are being abused. By the time you finish reading what sources such as The Humane League and PETA have to say about the process, you may be ready to swear off dairy products, yourself. But keep in mind, that’s propaganda, just as biased and manipulative as the bumpf put out by the Dairy Producers. A 2021 article in the New York Times presents a more balanced view.
What is Wilk?
Wilk is the name of the process patented by a startup of the same name which literally turns the idea of milk (and its initial letter) upside down. But Tom Aizen, Wilk’s CEO, says there’s more to it than that:
“The ‘W’ in Wilk stands for ‘WE’ and represents how, by collaborating with industry partners, we can all work together to establish sustainable means of production that can guarantee the continued supply of milk and dairy-based products for future generations.”
Wilk is a process by which cultured cow mammary cells produce real, completely authentic milk without the need to ‘abuse’ cows. And it’s potentially more efficient than raising and milking cows.
“Milk as we know it isn’t going to stick around forever. While global demand for milk and milk ingredients is always on the rise, conventional production methods will encounter many difficulties due to the worldwide climate crisis. […] We are revolutionizing the production of all kinds of milk, milk ingredients and components, with no compromises on nutrition, quality, and the planet itself.”
The vegan dilemma
Wilk appears to satisfy all the objections vegetarians and vegans put up against conventional milk.
Yes, like cultured meat proteins, Wilk requires a small sample of real cow mammary tissue to get the process started. But that can be had via the conventional cow slaughtering process, with no further ‘abuse’ of, or indignity to any animals. And one long-term result would be the avoidance of ‘abuse’ to many other cows in the future, which wouldn’t be needed to produce milk.
We reached out…
To The Vegan Society and PETA fort their comments about Wilk. Neither organization got back to us in time for our deadline. Which means we’ll probably be crafting another post about Wilk, with their comments, in the near future.
~ Maggie J.