A group of researchers at the Yonsei University in South Korea developed a unique hybrid rice variant that is made with beef. The rice grains are grown in the lab and infused with cow muscles and fat cells so that they will develop partially plant and partially meat. Sohyeon Park notes in a press release “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.”
The rice results in a bright pink shade and the team is working on eventually forming a more sustainable protein source from this progression. Each rice grain is coated in fish gelatin that helps the meat cells latch onto it. The aforementioned cells are inserted into the grain and then left to culture on a petri dish.
Image Credit: Yonsei University
What's Driving This Trend
- Hybrid Protein Rice
- Researchers in South Korea have developed a unique hybrid rice variant made with beef, creating a disruptive innovation opportunity in alternative protein sources.
- Cell-cultured Protein
- By infusing the rice grains with cow muscles and fat cells, the researchers aim to create a more sustainable protein source, providing a disruptive innovation opportunity in the food technology industry.
- Fish Gelatin Coating
- Coating each rice grain in fish gelatin allows the meat cells to latch onto it, opening up a disruptive innovation opportunity in ingredient technology for food manufacturing.
Who This Affects Most
- Food Technology
- The development of hybrid protein rice presents innovative opportunities in alternative protein sources for the food technology industry.
- Agriculture
- The research on hybrid rice variants with meat cells opens up innovative possibilities in sustainable protein production for the agriculture industry.
- Ingredient Technology
- The use of fish gelatin coating on rice grains provides disruptive opportunities for ingredient technology and food manufacturing.
