Artificial meatThe winner must establishcommercial production of synthetic chicken and successfully selling it in at least ten American states at a competitive price. A jury of ten PETA members will test the texture, taste and aroma of the synthetic meat submitted for the competition and assign it a score on a 100-point scale. In order to qualify for an award, contestants must score at least eighty points. PETA activists believe that animal stem cells must be used to produce synthetic meat. Similar research has been underway in laboratories for quite some time, but at least several more years are needed before results are obtained. A statement distributed by PETA said that the goal of the campaign is to relieve animals from suffering. "More than forty billion chickens, fish, pigs and cows are killed in horrific ways in the United States every day," the statement said. In addition, meat production has a devastating effect on the planet's ecology, PETA activists add. PETA regularly holds animal rights campaigns. Members of the organization call on people to give up eating meat altogether. This week, PETA launched a campaign against former US Vice President Al Gore. Gore is known as an active environmentalist, and in 2007 he received the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to preserve nature. However, PETA activists accuse Gore of being overly fond of meat and call him a "hypocrite".
