Researchers from Osaka University are creating 3D-printed Wagyu that blends traditional flavours, setting a new standard in high-end cuisine.
What if the future of fine dining included dishes crafted not in a kitchen, but from a printer? The latest advancements in 3D printing are setting the stage for just that, transforming how we think about and consume some of the world’s most luxurious foods. Imagine biting into a perfectly marbled wagyu steak that looks and tastes like it was prepared by a top chef, all coming from a 3D printer.
To that end, researchers from Osaka University, led by Professor Michiya Matsusaki, have successfully 3D printed wagyu beef with the meat’s iconic marbling. This is achieved by combining bovine satellite cells and adipose-derived stem cells. The process involves cultivating cells that differentiate into muscle, fat, and blood vessels from stem cells harvested from wagyu cattle. These are then layered using precise 3D bioprinting techniques to mimic the complex marbling for which wagyu beef is famous for.
The process begins with isolating bovine stem cells cultured in a lab to multiply into the required cell types. This allows unprecedented control over fat and muscle distribution, creating a product visually and texturally similar to conventional Wagyu. The findings have been published in Nature Communications.
Matsusaki underscores the environmental benefits of this innovative technology, offering a glimmer of hope in the face of these challenges. “To secure more meat for the world’s population, more forests will have to be cleared to create pastures for livestock. Artificially producing meat by culturing cells is an attractive way to eliminate this need for deforestation and reduce the burden on the environment,” he explains.
Matsusaki also notes that the method would help reduce greenhouse gases since cattle are the greatest agricultural source of methane. This insight, shared in an article, “Cultivating gourmet meat in the lab,” published on Nature Custom Media, points to a more sustainable future where our food choices can make a significant difference.
Sources:
- Matsusaki, M., et al. (2021). Engineered whole-cut meat-like tissue by the assembly of cell fibers using tendon-gel integrated bioprinting. Nature Communications, 12:5059. DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-25236-9.
- Matsusaki, M. (2022). Cultivating gourmet meat in the lab. Nature Custom Media. Available at: Nature Custom Media.