What is South Korea’s lab-grown ‘beef rice’, touted as ‘food of the future’?

Meat and rice are a common pairing in cuisine all across the world.

However, it appears that South Korean scientists have gone a step further by mixing both in a lab.

They have succeeded in growing rice grains using cow muscle and fat cells. And so, developing beef rice.

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The research was led by biomolecular engineer Sohyeon Park from Yonsei University and published in the journal Matter.

So are lab-cultured foods the way of the future for nutrition? Let’s take a closer look.

The process of creating the hybrid rice

Rice was selected by the research team due to its exceptional nutritional value as a staple food, containing 80 per cent, carbohydrate and 20 per cent protein and other nutrients, as per NDTV.

For the study, the researchers first coated grains of rice with fish gelatine and food enzymes to make it easier for beef cells to latch onto it.

After that, they added cow muscle and fat stem cells to the grains and allowed them to grow in the petri dish for up to 11 days.

Park and her team analysed the rice to examine its nutritional value and structure following the cultivation period. They discovered that compared to ordinary rice, the beef-rice hybrid was both firmer and more brittle.

It tasted delicious — “nutty and a little sweet,” according to Park.

Prof Jinkee Hong, who led the work at Yonsei University in South Korea, according to The Guardian, said, “When cooked, the rice retains its traditional appearance but carries a unique blend of aromas, including a slight nuttiness and umami which are characteristic of meat.”

“While it does not exactly replicate the taste of beef, it offers a pleasant and novel flavour experience,” he added. “We tried it with various accompaniments and it pairs well with a range of dishes.”

The odour of rice with more animal fat was more like cream, butter, and coconut oil, but the smell of rice with more muscle cells was more like beef and almonds, the report said.

Food safety regulations were met, according to the researchers, and there was little chance of causing food allergies with their cell-cultured beef rice.

Science Alert quoted lead researcher Sohyeon Park as saying, “I didn’t expect the cells to grow so well in the rice.”

Even though the product is a little labour-intensive, she claimed that it might eventually reduce food pressure.

“Now I see a world of possibilities for this grain-based hybrid food. It could one day serve as food relief for famine, military ration or even space food,” she said.

As part of the next steps, the researchers said they are planning to further boost the nutritional value of their hybrid rice by creating better conditions in the grain for both muscle and fat cells to thrive, as per The Independent.

Rich in nutrition and more affordable

According to South Korean researchers, cultured beef rice may provide a more cost-effective source of protein while leaving a lower carbon imprint.

They call their hybrid rice “nutritious and flavourful hybrid food,” noting that it contains seven per cent more fat and eight per cent more protein than regular rice.

Park said, “Imagine obtaining all the nutrients we need from cell-cultured protein rice. Rice already has a high nutrient level, but adding cells from livestock can further boost it.”

They said that the cost of their hybrid rice, if it were to be commercialised, might be about $2.23 per kilogramme, compared to the $14.88 cost of beef.

More environment-friendly

Cattle farming, which requires large areas of pastureland and releases more than 100 million metric tonnes of methane into the atmosphere annually, is one of the current techniques for producing meat, according to Science News.

Scientists propose that it could be preferable for the ecosystem to find strategies to avoid the moo. Meat grown in laboratories is one method to largely eliminate the cow from the picture.

According to the researchers, beef releases eight times more carbon dioxide (49.9 kilogrammes) per 100 grammes (3.5 oz) of protein generated than hybrid rice, which is estimated to release less than 6.27 kilogrammes (13.8 lb).

Sohyeon said, “We usually obtain the protein we need from livestock, but livestock production consumes a lot of resources and water and releases a lot of greenhouse gas.”

Not the first time

This is not the first time lab-grown food is being explored.

The first lab-grown burger was introduced in London in 2013. Since then, many companies from all over the world have started offering affordable cultivated meat items on the market, as per BBC News.

The world’s first-grown chicken product is already being sold to consumers in Singapore.

Italy, however, has supported legislation that would ban meat created in laboratories to preserve the nation’s culinary customs. The lab-grown meat is produced by cultivating natural cells, rather than synthetic ingredients, some critics pointed.

The future of lab-grown food

Neil Ward, an agri-food and climate specialist and professor of rural and regional development at the University of East Anglia, while speaking about the research, said: “There has been a surge of interest over the past five years in developing alternatives to conventional meat with lower environmental impacts.

“This research suggests the possibility of a hybrid rice which provides animal nutrients that involves almost eight times less greenhouse gas emissions and at less than one-sixth of the cost.” he was quoted as saying by The Independent.

“This line of research holds promise for the development of healthier and more climate-friendly diets in future. While data on cost and climate impact look very positive, a critical test is around public appetite for these sorts of lab-developed foods.”

“With lab-based alternative meats in general, the greatest potential is probably in replacing processed meats rather than prime cuts.”

Bridget Benelam from the British Nutrition Foundation told BBC, “Developing a diet that supports health for both people and planet is a major challenge. This study demonstrates an innovative new approach that could contribute to the solution,” while adding, “The findings represent a relatively small increase in the protein content of rice, which isn’t a high protein food. So further work would be needed if this technology were to be used as an alternative protein source to traditional animal products. 

With inputs from agencies