In South Korea, scientists have created pink rice that can replace meat – Liberation

The lab-grown hybrid feed contains beef muscle and fat cells. A cheaper, less polluting and more nutritious product than conventional rice.

A miracle solution to the food crisis and climate change? South Korean researchers have developed a new type of sustainable hybrid food by combining rice and beef cells. This 2.0 meat will be another alternative to animal protein, the cultivation of which is one of the largest emitters of greenhouse gases in the world. The new rice was grown in a lab by scientists at Yonsei University, Seoul, and contains beef muscle and fat cells.

Rice as nutritious as meat?

The result: pink rice, which could offer a cheaper and more environmentally sustainable option while leaving a lower carbon footprint. “Imagine if we got all the nutrients we needed from cell-grown protein rice,” said study co-author Park So-hyeon. “Rice already has high levels of nutrients, but adding cells from livestock can increase it even more,” She said in a press release published this Wednesday, February 14, when the study was published in the journal Matter.

In detail, rice grains were coated in fish gelatin to allow beef cells to adhere to them, then cultured for 11 days. According to the research team, compared to regular rice, the final product contains 8% more protein and 7% more fat, while being stronger and more crumbly than the natural grain.

The latest version, developed in a laboratory, leaves a significantly lower carbon footprint than meat because it does not require raising animals, which are eaten. “Releases too many resources and water and too many greenhouse gases”, Park So-hyeon wants to reassure herself. For every 100 grams of protein produced, hybrid rice is estimated to emit less than 6.27 kg of carbon dioxide, eight times less than beef production, the press release said.

An affordable option

If commercialized, this hybrid rice would be a much cheaper option for consumers in South Korea, with an estimated retail price of around $2.23 per kg, compared to beef around $15. The team plans to further improve this new rice between now and its commercialization, so that the cells can grow better in the grain, increasing its nutritional value.

“Now I see a whole world of possibilities for this hybrid food,” The researcher was delighted. “It could one day constitute food aid in the event of a famine, be integrated into military rations or feed astronauts”, she imagines. In recent years, a real market for meat alternatives has developed, sparking numerous debates. Cultured, artificial, plant-based… there are now countless options that appeal to consumers who want to steer clear of an overly meaty diet.