A group of scientists in South Korea, working at Yonsei University, have made a new kind of rice that has meat in it. This rice, which is pink, has both plant and cow meat in it. The scientists hope this rice can be a cheaper and more eco-friendly way to get protein than regular beef. They also think it could save time for people who like to eat beef with rice because now, the rice is the beef!
Here’s how they made it: first, they covered each rice grain with fish gelatin to help the meat cells stick to it. Then, they put cow muscle and fat cells inside each grain. They let these cells grow in a dish for about ten days. The rice grains have tiny holes that are like the scaffolds found in meat cells. This helps the meat cells grow well, both on the outside and inside the rice grain. When it’s done, the rice tastes like beef sushi because of its ingredients.
The main scientist, Sohyeon Park, thinks this rice could be a big deal. She imagines a future where they won’t need cows anymore to make it. Instead, they could use cells that keep growing and dividing over time. This could make food production much more sustainable, without relying on traditional farming.
But this rice is not yet ready for your dinner plate or your consumption. The scientists are still working on it to make this much better. They want it to be more nutritious, healthier, tastier, appetizing and even to have a nicer texture and color if that bother you at all. They think that it can be used for feeding people during severe emergencies such as famines, for soldiers and even for the astronauts in space.
This project is part of a global effort to tackle the environmental issues that have been caused by farming animals for meat. Livestock farming releases a lot of carbon dioxide, which is very harmful for the planet and in lieu of these, scientists are trying different things to find more eco-friendly ways to produce meat such as making lab-grown chicken nuggets, steaks, and even looking into using insects as a protein source.
The beef rice made by the South Korean scientists is a promising step towards a more sustainable food future. It could help reduce the environmental impact of meat production and provide an alternative source of protein that’s better for the planet. However, more work is needed to make it perfect for everyone’s dinner table.
