Final product has 8% more protein than regular rice: scientist (representative)
Seoul:
South Korean scientists have developed a new sustainable food hybrid – a “meaty” rice – that they say could help tackle the food crisis and climate change.
The new grain, grown in a lab by researchers at Yonsei University in Seoul, is enriched with beef muscle and fat cells.
The result, the team says, is a pink rice that could provide a cheaper, more environmentally friendly alternative to meat and leave a smaller carbon footprint.
“Imagine getting all the nutrients we need from cell-cultured protein rice,” said study co-author Park So-hyeon.
“Rice already has high nutritional levels, but adding cells from livestock could increase the nutritional levels even further,” she said in a press release Wednesday, when the study was published in the journal Matter.
The grains are coated with isinglass to help the beef cells attach to the rice, then cultured in petri dishes for up to 11 days.
The final product contains 8% more protein and 7% more fat than regular rice, and is firmer and crunchier than the natural grain, the team said.
The latest invention has a significantly smaller carbon footprint, Parker said, because this production method eliminates the need to feed and farm animals, which consume “a lot of resources and water and release a lot of greenhouse gases.”
Hybrid rice is expected to release 6.27 kilograms of carbon dioxide per 100 grams (3.5 ounces) of protein produced, while beef production releases eight times more, according to the release.
If commercialized, it would provide Korean consumers with a cheaper option, with the price of Korean hybrid rice estimated at about $2.23 per kilogram, compared to about $15 per kilogram for beef.
The research team plans to further develop the process before the rice is marketed, allowing cells to grow better in the rice grains and thereby gain more nutritional value.
“Now I see endless possibilities with this grain-based blend,” Parker said.
“One day, it could serve as food relief for famines, military rations, or even space food.”
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