Researchers in Japan Have 3D Printed Wagyu Beef
Researchers from Osaka University in Japan have 3D-printed wagyu beef, and it looks very close to the real thing.
Simply translated, wagyu means "Japanese cow." But it is wagyu beef's structure, as well as its unique marbling — or sashi— that the scientists wanted to replicate.
For the experiment, the team extracted two kinds of stem cells from Japanese Black cows. They then got these stem cells to grow into the specific cells they needed for their lab-grown meat.
Using these cells, a 3D bioprinter produced muscle, fat and blood vessels, which were then arranged by hand to copy the structure and marbling of real wagyu.
The scientists hope proving that wagyu steak can be lab-grown gives hope for a more sustainable future where there are tasty alternatives to traditionally raised beef. Raising animals for food and other products contributes significantly to human greenhouse gas emissions, with cattle contributing more than all other animals combined, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
Until recently, lab-grown meat hasn't had much structure to it. Instead, it has usually looked more like mince.
However, the team believes that by improving the technology they're using, they will be able to not only produce the complex structures that define wagyu but adjust for things like muscle and fat content.
This means future customers could say how much fat they want based on how they want their meat to taste or how healthy they want it to be.
The study, published in Nature Communications, didn't mention how the meat tasted — if it was ready to be eaten at all. The amount created was less than 1 cubic centimetre in size.
Wagyu beef is one of the most expensive meats in the world, and is valued highly for its delicate marbling and buttery flavor. Olive wagyu, from the small island of Shodoshima, has been called the rarest type of steak in the world. One steak can cost from around $120 to over $300.
//Vocabulary//
marbling: lines or streaks of fat in meat
Kobe beef is prized for its marbling.
replicate: to make an exact copy or model of something
To test the new rover, NASA replicated the surface of Mars at its lab in California.
extract: to remove or take out something
Extracting oil from the ground is a complicated and expensive process.
stem cell: a basic type of cell that can develop into other types of cells
Researchers are using stem cells to repair damaged tissue.
blood vessel: any of the tubes that carry blood through the body
Smoking cigarettes can damage your blood vessels.
content: an amount of something found or contained in a substance
Wine has a higher alcohol content than beer.
//Discussion//
1. What are your thoughts on the lab-grown wagyu beef?
->
It feels a little strange. It is against the laws of nature.
We eat naturally grown vegetables and fruits, as well as chicken and fish.
Can we stay perfectly healthy by eating artificially produced beef?
In the future, we may face a food crisis due to population growth.
We will need to prepare something for that.
However, for now, I would like to choose and eat natural foods.
2. Would you be interested in trying lab-grown meat? Why? Why not?
->
I'm not interested in it. This is because we believe that it is dangerous to continue eating food that is not guaranteed to be safe.
However, most soybeans have already been genetically modified.
In other words, foods essential to Japanese cuisine, such as tofu, natto, soy sauce, and miso, have already been artificially manipulated.
We have no choice but to trust scientists and the conscience of our country or to protect ourselves by choosing and purchasing products that are even slightly better.
3. Do you expect lab-grown meat to become commonplace within your lifetime? Why? Why not?
->
I think that possibility is high.
We already rely on imports for things like wheat, cheese, and ham, which are pretty expensive.
Meat will also become more expensive in the future.
We will be forced to decide whether to buy real meat or fake meat every time.
4. Are plant-based meat alternatives popular where you live? Why do you think that is?
->
I do not think so.
We generally don't realize that such foods are excellent.
However, we may be eating them without realizing it.
We may not be able to recognize them even if we eat them at a restaurant or come across them at a hotel or cafe.
We need to avoid products that are too cheap and eat and buy from trusted stores.
5. Is meat a big part of the average diet where you live?
->
I have to say that in Japan these days.
When I was a child, it was still traditional Japanese food.
The main meals were tofu, seaweed, fish, and vegetables.
However, little by little, Western-style meals began to increase.
Steaks, fried chicken, cakes, and cookies have increased.
Thanks to this, we have become bigger and stronger.
Furthermore, the healthy style of Japanese cuisine is now being reconsidered.
Japanese style is superior in both quantity and quality.
Again, We can appreciate that rice, fish, and vegetables are truly delicious.
//Further Discussion//
6. What's the best-tasting meat you've tried?
->
The Kobe beef I ate with my Kobe aunt in Kobe was delicious.
It was a famous restaurant, and the chef grilled the best beef right before us on an iron grill.
The way it was baked was like magic, and the combination of softness, deliciousness, and miracles made me remember it as a truly delicious experience.
7. Do you eat a lot of meat? If so, what are your favourite kinds? If not, why not?
->
I like chicken.
I think yakitori and fried chicken are delicious and cheap.
Of course, beef is delicious, but it's now costly.
We eat beef on special occasions or when we want something special.
8. Which of your friends or family is the biggest meat-lover?
->
I don't think many people around me only like meat.
Instead, I think it is essential to eat a well-balanced diet of vegetables, meat, and fish.
If there is a food that is even slightly good for the body, we recommend it to each other.
9. Do you know anyone who's recently become vegetarian or vegan?
->
I do not know that. I think Japanese people eat a lot of vegetables, even if they don't declare themselves vegetarians.
This is because vegetables are not very expensive, and you can choose from a wide variety.
Japan has four seasons, and each season has different delicious vegetables.
Eating it at the beginning of the season is good for you.
10. What foods do you think you'd find the hardest to give up? Why?
->
I think it's hard to give up alcohol, sweets, and fast food.
Because I ate a lot of them when I was very young.
However, as we age, we start to prefer foods that are good for our bodies.
Sometimes, I eat delicious food that is bad for my body, but I am aware of this and then eat a well-balanced diet of healthy food.
Researchers in Japan Have 3D Printed Wagyu Beef
Add info No1)
Scientists based in Japan have successfully 3D printed a hunk of wagyu beef, complete with marbling
https://www.insider.com/scientists-from-japan-3d-printed-a-hunk-of-wagyu-beef-2021-8
Scientists based in Japan's Osaka University have found a way to 3D print wagyu beef in a lab — a step they believe will one day help make widely available and sustainably-produced cuts of cultured meat that closely resemble original products.
Using stem cells that they took from wagyu cows, the scientists set out to create a structure with the characteristic marbling (or sashi) seen in wagyu beef that sets it apart from other cuts of meat.
By isolating beef cells, the scientists organized how the muscles, blood vessels, and fat should be stacked. The researchers then shaped these tissues into a steak using 3D bioprinting, where cell structures can be layered to resemble actual tissues in living things.
Add info No2)
World's First 3D-Printed Beef (Wagyu)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5clmktdQx-c
A)
Scientists based in Japan's Osaka University have found a way to 3D print wagyu beef in a lab - a step they believe will one day help make widely available and sustainably-produced cuts of cultured meat that closely resemble original products.
Using stem cells that they took from wagyu cows, the scientists set out to create a structure with the characteristic marbling (or sashi) seen in wagyu beef that sets it apart from other cuts of meat.
By isolating beef cells, the scientists organized how the muscles, blood vessels, and fat should be stacked. The researchers then shaped these tissues into a steak using 3D bioprinting, where cell structures can be layered to resemble actual tissues in living things.
B)
The researchers believe that proving that a wagyu steak can be accurately 3D-printed could be a big step toward a sustainable future where cultured meat can be created that closely resembles existing products. Its origins from the real heart also differentiate it from plant-based options, like those made by Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods.
C)
"By improving this technology, it will be possible to not only reproduce complex meat structures, such as the beautiful marbling (Sashi) of Wagyu beef but also to make subtle adjustments to the fat and muscle components," Michiya Matsusaki, one of the study's researchers said in a statement.
Michiya Matsusaki, one of the project's researchers, said that with these adjustments, customers might one day be able to order a cultured cut of meat with the amount of fat they desire, tailor-made to their tastes and health concerns.
D)
Wagyu beef is known to be extremely expensive, with high-grade wagyu fetching prices of up to $200 per pound and adult cows selling for more than $30,000. In 2019, Japan's wagyu exports raked in a record high of $268.8 million in profits, up 20% from 2018.
While this might be the first cut of wagyu beef to be 3D-printed, other attempts have been made to print steaks. In February this year, Aleph Farms and the Faculty of Biomedical Engineering at the Technion Israel Institute of Technology jointly bioprinted and cultivated a ribeye steak using actual cow cells.
E)
However, it might be a while before one can sink their teeth into a cut of bioprinted beef. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have not created a regulatory framework for these products yet, per The Washington Post.
Add info No3)
The Seto Inland Sea and Shodoshima Island catching the attention of people around the world.
The history of "Olive-fed Wagyu Beef" started here
https://olivefedwagyu.jp/about/
Olive-fed Wagyu Beef (OFW) was first introduced to the Japanese market
in 2011 and quickly earned a well-deserved reputation for excellence.
Most notably, OFW took home a special prize for fat quality at the 2017 Wagyu Olympics.
OFW was featured on Eater's The Meat Show with meat expert ※Nick Solares.
Solares noted that "While finishing cattle with olive lees is unique to Kagawa,
the success of the process means that you shouldn't be surprised to see it widely adopted in the future."
Add info No4)
Kinki University successfully completes eel farming, moving toward sustainable production
https://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXZQOUC252YO0V21C23A0000000/
The Kinki University Fisheries Research Institute (Shirahama Town, Wakayama Prefecture) announced on the 26th that it had succeeded in completely cultivating eels. The parents were young fish raised by hand from eggs, and the eggs from those parents were hatched. Natural resources of glass eels, the juvenile glass eels needed for eel farming, are decreasing. If full-scale aquaculture can be put into practical use, it will be easier to provide a stable supply and help conserve resources.
We utilized the breeding technology of the Fisheries Research Center (currently the Japan Fisheries Research and Education Agency), which succeeded in complete aquaculture for the first time in the world in 2010. At the press conference, Professor Hideki Tanaka of Kindai University said, ``Rather than making eel cheaper, it is meaningful to realize sustainable eel farming.''
Eel Bowl
https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E9%B0%BB%E4%B8%BC
Kōbe bīfu
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kobe_beef
Top 20 most expensive steaks in the world
https://businessyield.com/ja/brand-stories/most-expensive-steak-in-the-world/
Add info No5)
NHK - TV program - "Close up modern"
The eggs and meat are just like the real thing! Will "food tech foods" change the way we eat?
The eggs and meat are just like the real thing! Will "food tech foods" change the way we eat?
What's behind the development of foods that look just like eggs?
There is a cafe in Shibuya, Tokyo, that is popular for its plant-based menu. All dishes, such as butter chicken-style curry using soy milk and nuggets made from soybeans, are made with plant-based food tech foods. One of the popular menu items is omelette rice made with egg substitutes made from white beans and carrots. The price is 1,210 yen. Kanoe Kiyonobu said, "I would be happy if people would eat plant-based foods as a new option." Major food manufacturers, whose main product is mayonnaise, were among the first to develop egg substitutes. The company sells four products, including scrambled eggs, from plant-based ingredients. We focused on creating products that can be used, like beaten eggs. Almond flour and vegetable pigments are used to make it yellow. The thermocoagulability, which hardens when heated, is reproduced using a coagulant. Although they are six times more expensive than real eggs, they are not only sold for commercial use but also started being sold online last year. Chika Watanuki said, "I feel it's valuable to replace the menu I eat daily with plant-based foods rather than Buddhist vegetarian cuisine." This manufacturer, which uses 4 billion eggs a year, feels that the need for plant-based foods will increase, as its production lines were affected by the egg shortage caused by this year's avian influenza.
Add info No6)
"Shojin Ryori" to face life
https://shun-gate.com/power/power_35/
Shojin-Ryori refers to a plant-based diet that does not use meat or fish, based on Buddhist teachings. It originated in Zen temples in Japan and developed as a meal for monks. The ingredients are mainly vegetables, fruits, grains, wild plants, seaweed, and processed soybean products. They are well-balanced with various flavours, colours, and cooking methods based on five tastes, five colours, and five ways.
* Five tastes refer to "sweet, sour, spicy, bitter, and salt," five colours refer to "red, blue (green), yellow, white, and black," and five methods refer to "raw, boiled, steamed, fried, and stir-fried." Incorporating these into your diet will create a meal that is nutritionally balanced and stimulates your five senses.
