A team of researchers from South Korea has recently developed a special pink rice that is grown from beef cells and is rich in high-quality protein and fat, as well as beef-like toughness and flavor, although it does not taste like beef.
Scientists from Yonsei University in South Korea have succeeded in developing a hybrid rice rich in beef protein and fat cells. The rice has a fleshy pink color and a higher protein and fat content than conventional rice, increasing by 8% and 7%, respectively. It is worth noting that although this rice does not have a beef flavor, it has a unique aroma and a meat-like texture.
Professor Park Sang-hyun, co-author of the study, shared, "We envisioned a possibility to improve the nutritional value of rice through cell culture. Rice itself is already quite nutritious, and the addition of cells from livestock can further increase the nutrient content. The findings have been published in the scientific journal Matter.
Researchers at Yonsei University revealed that they learned that artificially cultured cells rely on substrate to produce tissue, so they chose rice as the best substrate for cultivation. Before the start of the experiment, they evenly coated the rice grains with fish gelatin and cultured them in Petri dishes for 11 days to facilitate the attachment of beef cells.
This hybrid rice consists of hard and crunchy grains of rice that still retain a good appearance after cooking. Even if it doesn't have the taste of beef, its new texture is still popular and can be paired with a variety of foods. In the initial stages, the scholars used Korean beef cells provided by local slaughterhouses, but looking to the future, they are looking forward to using sustainable beef cells grown in the lab. In addition, they expect the possibility of mixing rice with other meat or fish to cater to a diverse range of tastes.
At this stage, the protein content of this type of hybrid rice has not yet reached expectations. In order to completely replace the meat diet, the research team will aim to significantly increase its protein content.