Japanese scientists have succeeded in making the first steak from Wagyu beef using a 3D printer in the laboratory.
Scientists from Osaka University in Japan used stem cells from wagyu cows, then proceeded to create a structure with the marble properties of wagyu beef, which distinguish it from other cuts of beef.
By isolating beef cells, Japanese scientists orchestrated how muscle, blood vessels and fat stack, then shaped these tissues into a steak shape using a technique called 3D bioprinting, in which cell structures can be layered to resemble real tissue in living organisms.
Scientists at Japan’s Osaka University believe that the move will help in the future to provide large-scale and sustainably produced cuts of cultured meat, which are very similar to the original meat.
“By improving this technology, it will be possible to not only reproduce complex meat textures, such as beautiful marble (sashi) from wagyu meat, but also make slight modifications to the fat components,” said Michia Matsusaki, one of the study’s participants. and muscles.”
As Matsusaki sees it:
“With these modifications in place, customers may one day be able to order cuts of meat with the amount of fat they desire, tailored to their tastes and health concerns.”
While this may be the first piece of wagyu beef to be 3D-printed, other attempts have been made to print steaks. In February, Aleph Farms and the School of Biomedical Engineering at the Technion Israel Institute of Technology printed and cultivated a steak. Real rib using real cow cells.
It is noteworthy that the US Department of Agriculture and the US Food and Drug Administration have not established a regulatory framework for this printed meat yet, according to the American newspaper “Washington Post”.
It is known that Wagyu beef is very expensive, as high-quality wagyu prices reach $200 per pound, while adult cows sell for more than $30,000. In 2019, Japanese wagyu exports recorded record profits of $268.8 million, an increase of 20% over year 2018.