Researchers create 'meat rice' with higher protein value

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Researchers create 'meat rice' with higher protein value

Published: 16 Feb. 2024, 09:09

LEE SOO-JUNG
lee.soojung1@joongang.co.kr

"Meat rice″ comes in pink color and is made of rice and lab-grown bovine stem cells. [YONSEI UNIVERSITY]

Korean researchers have developed a so-called "meat rice," a type of rice made with cow's stem cells.

Made of rice and lab-grown cells, the artificially crafted pink-colored grain is more nutritious, according to an article in the journal “Matter” on Thursday. It contains eight percent more protein and seven percent more fat than naturally harvested rice.

“Adding cells from edible animals can make the cultured meat rice more nutritious,” said Park So-hyeon, a postdoctoral researcher from Johns Hopkins University who participated in the research.

“In the future, the cultured meat rice can be a source for food aid, combat food and space food. A single kilogram of the meat rice can be priced at approximately 3,000 won ($2.25) upon successful commercialization while beef costs an average of 20,000 won per kilogram," Park added.

The researchers said that crafted grains are highly marketable as they are relatively safer for consumption and can be easily processed.

“The cultured meat rice meets food safety regulations and consists of substances with a low potential to cause allergies,” the research team said.

They also noted that the rice could contribute to sustainability by cutting carbon dioxide emissions incurred from livestock breeding.

“Only 6.27 kilograms (13.82 pounds) of carbon dioxide are produced when making the hybrid grains containing 100 grams (3.52 ounces) of protein, but to earn such nutrition through livestock cattle, some 49.89 kilograms of carbon dioxide are emitted,” Park added.

Inside the laboratory's plate, bovine stem cells grow while being attached to rice grains. [YONSEI UNIVERSITY]

Rice grains and the cells are a perfect pair, the findings say.

Four factors – the type of cell, liquid facilitating cell growth, scaffolds for cells and ways of processing it into food – are the most critical in producing cultured meat rice, according to Hong Jin-kee, a leading researcher and biomolecular engineering professor at Yonsei University, said.

Scaffolds are a supporting structure for stem cells, enabling them to form a tissue.

“Active cells detached from living cows do not grow well. However, the researchers found the cells grow faster and better when combined with rice grains,” Hong said.

Rice grain itself has micro-sized halls that provide an optimal cell-nurturing structure, so the researchers coated grains with gelatin extracted from fish to help the bovine cells firmly adhere.

They transplanted stem cells from cattle muscle and fat to the rice grains, leaving them plated in the laboratory for nine to 11 days.

The researchers tested the edibleness of the cultured meat rice, considering its odor and texture.

The baked meat rice was not sticky nor soft like regular baked rice. Grains were either rigid or easily falling apart.

The grains with higher levels of bovine muscular cells smelled like almonds or beef, while crafted grains with more fat had scents like butter or coconut oil.

Yet, due to its distinctive odor, success in commercialization cannot be guaranteed.

Graphical abstract shows how cultured meat rice is made. [MATTER]

Foreign media also shed light on cultured meat rice.

The BBC reported on the same day that the meat rice could become a “new type of hybrid food” that can be an “affordable and eco-friendly source of protein.” It also wrote that consumer acceptance would matter once it becomes available to the public.

The research team plans to conduct additional research to make rice with higher concentrations of muscle and fat.

BY HA SU-YOUNG [lee.soojung1@joongang.co.kr]