South Korean Scientists Develop “Meaty Rice” to Revolutionize Protein Consumption

SEOUL, South Korea: A team of South Korean scientists is pioneering a novel method to produce protein by injecting cultured beef cells into individual grains of rice. This innovation, led by Professor Hong Jin-kee of Seoul’s Yonsei University, holds the potential to transform global eating habits, from preventing famines to feeding astronauts in space.

Hong’s creation, dubbed “meaty rice,” resembles regular rice but with a pink hue and a faint buttery aroma, owing to the inclusion of beef muscle and fat cell cultures. This innovative food product aims to offer an eco-friendly and ethical protein source without harming animals. “We can obtain animal protein without the slaughter of livestock,” Hong told AFP.

This project addresses ethical and environmental concerns associated with industrial livestock rearing. Livestock farming is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, prompting a global search for sustainable meat alternatives. Hong’s background in organoids and biomedical sciences led him to choose rice as the medium for his research, given its status as a primary protein source in Asia.

The process involves coating a rice grain with fish gelatin, injecting it with beef cells, and culturing it in a petri dish for up to 11 days. The rice’s porous structure provides an ideal environment for uniform cell growth. The resulting “meaty rice” boasts eight percent more protein and seven percent more fat than regular rice.

Scaling up this process remains a challenge, but Hong is optimistic about its potential applications. He hopes to secure approval to use “meaty rice” as emergency relief food in two African countries, where even a slight increase in protein content can be vital for those with limited access to food.

South Korea has not yet approved any cultivated meat for consumption, but the government has committed millions to a “foodtech” fund and identified cell-cultured meat as a research priority. While cultivated meat is available in Singapore and the United States, it faces regulatory hurdles elsewhere, such as Italy, which banned it to protect its livestock industry.

Critics raise concerns about the safety of cultured meat, including the sourcing of animal cells and the use of serum, antibiotics, and hormones in the culturing process. Despite these concerns, Hong’s method significantly reduces the carbon footprint associated with protein production. His team estimates that producing 100 grams of protein releases 6.27 kilograms of carbon dioxide, eight times less than traditional beef production.

Cultured meat is often touted as a climate solution compared to conventional livestock. However, it must be scalable, affordable, energy-efficient, and environmentally friendly. Neil Stephens, a technology and society lecturer at the University of Birmingham, notes that “meaty rice” might have an advantage due to its hybrid nature, combining animal cells with plant material, potentially making it less energy-intensive and cheaper.

Global consultancy AT Kearney predicts that by 2040, only 40 percent of global meat consumption will come from conventional sources, with biotechnology playing a significant role in this shift. Hong envisions a future where biotechnology tailors food to individual health needs, potentially involving AI and robotic kitchens that prepare meals based on a person’s health metrics.

Hong’s “meaty rice” represents a step towards this future, promising a sustainable, ethical, and health-conscious alternative to traditional protein sources.