The Future of Food: Hybrid Rice with Meat Cells Inside

Researchers have developed rice grains with beef and cow fat cells grown inside them, creating a novel food product that could revolutionise sustainable food menus. Here’s all you need to know.

How Was This Made

The experimental food was made by covering traditional rice grains in fish gelatin and seeding them with skeletal muscle and fat stem cells, which were then grown in the laboratory for nine to 11 days.

Nutritious and Flavourful

The rice grains, as per The Guardian report, contain meat and fat throughout, offering a blend of aromas including nuttiness and umami characteristic of meat, providing a pleasant and novel flavour experience.

Sustainability

Hybrid rice could make food production more sustainable, with significantly lower carbon dioxide emissions compared to traditional beef production and for a more affordable price tag.

Potential Applications

The researchers believe hybrid rice could improve emergency food supplies, serve as rations for astronauts and the military, and cater to different tastes and nutritional requirements by incorporating other types of meat or fish.

Mixed Reception

While some experts doubt the impact of the hybrid rice due to its low meat content, others see promise in its potential to provide animal nutrients with significantly lower greenhouse gas emissions and at a fraction of the cost.