Earlier this year, KFC took a huge leap when they introduced their Beyond Meat Chicken—a 100% plant-based version of their famous fried chicken. As it turns out, that was just the first of possibly many leaps into the future by the global food chain.
Here’s the latest shocker—in an article released on their global website, KFC has announced they will soon be using 3D bioprinting technology to create chicken meat, particularly for their chicken nuggets. This project will be done in collaboration with a 3D Bioprinting Solutions Research Laboratory in Russia.
via KFC Philippines
The idea comes, KFC’s announcement states, as a response to the growing demand worldwide not just for healthier food options, but for alternatives to traditional meat as well. Most importantly, it’s more ethical and environmentally sustainable. Creating a cell-based meat product means eliminating commercial farming in the food production process, which immensely reduces greenhouse gas emissions that is the biggest contributor to global warming. Additives from traditional farming techniques is also eliminated, thus promising cleaner meat products.
Photo from KFC Philippines
But if you’re thinking, won’t a laboratory-made chicken taste weird? Probably not. KFC explains that they will be “using chicken cells and plant material, allowing it to reproduce the taste and texture of chicken meat almost without involving animals in the process,” but will still be providing the 3D Bioprinting Laboratory “all of the necessary ingredients, such as breading and spices, to achieve the signature KFC taste.”
A final product of KFC’s first 3D bioprinted chicken meat that will be ready for testing is expected to be released in the last quarter of this year.
You can read KFC’s official press statement here.
Will you try KFC’s 3D bioprinted chicken nuggets when it becomes available for the public? Tell us what you think in the comments!
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