A ‘meaty’ rice containing beef muscle and fat cells could serve as an affordable, sustainable source of protein, researchers have said.

The food was developed by Professor Jinkee Hong’s team at Yonsei University, South Korea. The team aimed to combine grain and animal cells to create a “new complete meal”.

Each grain of the hybrid rice contains synthetic (lab-grown) beef muscle and fat cells. The grains – which provide the appropriate scaffolding and nutrients for the meat cells to grow – were first coated in fish gelatine and food enzymes to help the beef cells adhere. The researchers allowed the cells to grow throughout the grains for five to seven days, which was followed by placing the rice in a medium that encouraged the cells to multiply within the grains themselves.

The result is a bright pink rice, reportedly slightly harder, less sticky and more brittle than conventional rice. Rice with a higher muscle content had the scent of beef and almonds, while rice with a higher fat content...