Scientists invent new 'meaty' rice, hybrid food

The "meaty" rice could offer a more eco-friendly source of protein that costs less than real cuts of meat.

(NewsNation) — Scientists in South Korea have created a new type of hybrid food by growing beef cells inside grains of rice.

The "meaty" rice could offer a more eco-friendly source of protein that costs less than real cuts of meat.

“Imagine obtaining all the nutrients we need from cell-cultured protein rice,” lead author Sohyeon Park from Yonsei University said in a statement. "Rice already has a high nutrient level, but adding cells from livestock can further boost it."

Researchers coated the rice with fish gelatin to help the cells latch onto the rice better. From there, cow muscle and fat stem cells were seeded into the rice and left to culture in a petri dish for 9 to 11 days, according to a study published in the journal Matter this week.

The final result was a "cell-cultured beef rice" that had 8% more protein and 7% more fat than regular rice — it also turned out "firmer" and "brittler" than normal rice, scientists found.

Although the product is not yet approved for consumers, the hope is that it could become a more environmentally sustainable protein option.

"I didn’t expect the cells to grow so well in the rice," Park said. "Now I see a world of possibilities for this grain-based hybrid food. It could one day serve as food relief for famine, military ration, or even space food."

Researchers said the main ingredients meet food safety requirements and have a low risk of triggering food allergies.

Beefy rice is the latest variation in the expanding "lab-grown" meat sector.

Last year, for the first time, U.S. regulators approved the sale of chicken made from animal cells. Globally, more than 150 companies are focusing on meat from cells, the Associated Press reported in June.