South Korean researchers have made a breakthrough in the lab by developing a protein-rich food that could potentially replace traditional meat production. This new creation, named “beef rice,” is pink in color and tastes like meat. To create beef rice, researchers grew real beef cells inside of a grain of rice. This marks the first time that animal cells have been successfully cultured inside a grain of rice, according to Professor Jinkee Hong of Yonsei University in Seoul.
Beef rice is part of a growing trend towards lab-grown meat alternatives. Hong’s team believes that rice production has a smaller carbon footprint than traditional beef production, making beef rice an environmentally friendly option. They hope that beef rice will become competitive in the meat market as it provides consumers with a sustainable and ethically sourced meat alternative.
One unique aspect of beef rice is its combination of real beef cells and rice as a culture medium, setting it apart from other products on the market. Researchers are optimistic about the potential of beef rice to provide consumers with an alternative to traditional meat sources while reducing their environmental impact and promoting ethical practices in agriculture.
