Scientists from the Osaka University in Japan have created a lab-grown steak by 3D printing. The team says it highly resembles products manufactured by Wagyu beef cattle – a sustainable alternative to a genuine delicacy.
As per the new paper, scientists harvested two types of stem cells from Wagyu cows, incubated them, and then turned them into muscle, fat, and blood vessel cells. The study has been published in the journal Nature Communications.
Fully customized Wagyu steak incoming
The resultant is a 3D stack that is 10mm in size, featuring high-fat steak with marbling of Wagyu beef. “Using the histological structure of Wagyu beef as a blueprint, we have developed a 3D-printing method that can produce tailor-made complex structures, like muscle fibers, fat and blood vessels,” said lead author Dong-Hee Kang.
The team believes the process could come in handy to create fully customized pieces of Wagyu steak, something that many meat lovers dream of. “By improving this technology, it will be possible to not only reproduce complex meat structures, such as the beautiful sashi of Wagyu beef, but to also make subtle adjustments to the fat and muscle components,” said Michiya Matsusaki, senior author.
A growing industry with potential
The lab-grown meat industry is showing potential and could become a commercial enterprise, with the first-ever lab-grown meat factory starting in Israel. The Osaka University scientists aren’t alone in planning to develop lab Wagyu. Orbillion Bio, a Silicon Valley startup, recently showcased a similar tech to produce exotic meats.
Barcelona-based startup Novameat also made use of 3D printing technology to cater to this niche market. The firm is manufacturing vegetarian “steaks” and is planning to enter the mass market by 2022. Novameat plans to sell these so-called steaks directly to consumers and to restaurants that wish to serve plant-based meat. The Spanish firm developed this technology in 2018 and demoed how its 3D printer produces food during the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona.
