The question was just raised in a previous blog entry about what a research scientist could learn from philosophy.  Perhaps this article, "Mad Science? Growing Meat Without Animals" can provide some insight.

Particularly telling was this quote:

"In principle, we could harvest the meat progenitor cells from fresh human cadavers and grow meat from them," Post said. "Once taken out of its disease and animalistic, cannibalistic context — you are not killing fellow citizens for it, they are already dead — there is no reason why not."

Still, Post suggests that marketing could overcome such hurdles.

So who still thinks that these questions are only technical issues?