971. Rice-based Meat

Today's post features an article published in Matter (Park et al. 2024) that presents a groundbreaking study on rice-based meat.

In this study, rice grains were combined with a gelatin coating derived from fish and with animal cells, resulting in a unique hybrid food product: rice-based meat. This innovative approach suggests rice-based technology as an alternative scaffold for the production of cultured meat, an area of significant interest in recent years. In particular, this technology is less likely to trigger allergenic concerns compared to traditional soy or nut-based scaffolds.

To create this hybrid food, rice grains were coated with fish gelatin and food enzymes to enhance cell binding during the cell culture process. Two variations of rice-based meat were developed by introducing bovine muscle cells (bovine myoblasts) and adipocytes (adipose tissue-derived stem cells) to form organized cell structures. The authors highlight the potential of these novel foods as nutritious and practical options.

In terms of nutritional profile, the hybrid rice had slightly increased levels of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins compared to regular rice. In terms of texture, the addition of animal cells altered the starch chains, resulting in hybrid rice that was less sticky, brittle and hard compared to its regular counterpart. Odours analysis revealed distinct odours for the different hybrid rice grains, similar to beef and cream or butter, respectively.

This study successfully demonstrates the production of hybrid foods and shows that rice is an effective scaffold for the growth and differentiation of cell-cultured meat. This hybrid technology, in which food, scaffold, and cells complement each other, holds promise for various food products. However, the implications for food system transformation are still unclear.
 

References
Park, S., Lee, M., Jung, S., Lee, H., Choi, B., Choi, M., ... & Hong, J. (2024). Rice grains integrated with animal cells: A shortcut to a sustainable food system. Matter.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matt.2024.01.015
Table (2024) Rice gains integrated with animal cells. https://tabledebates.org/research-library/rice-grains-integrated animal-cells　

Related Pick up Articles
934. Addressing the Global Food Challenges of the Futurehttps://www.jircas.go.jp/en/program/proc/blog/20240111
922. Protein Transition　https://www.jircas.go.jp/en/program/proc/blog/20231219
765.  Is Cultured Meat Considered Kosher?https://www.jircas.go.jp/en/program/proc/blog/20230425
307. Approval of First Insect as Novel Food in the EU https://www.jircas.go.jp/en/program/proc/blog/20210603
197. Sale of Cultured Meat Approved for the First Time https://www.jircas.go.jp/en/program/program_d/blog/20201217

* Rice in photo is not rice-based meat. 

Contributor: SHIRATORI Sakiko (Information and Public Relations Office)