3 February, 2021
Jan 6th 2021 – KFC will now “Print” its Chicken Nuggets! … (Star Trek has arrived)
Posted in : Factoids, Food and Dining News, OWJ Show, Weekly Vignette on WCRN 830 AM on by : Out With Joe
KFC Is Developing Lab-Grown, 3D Printed Chicken Nuggets
Though it might sound like the resumption of some abandoned Cold War-era project, the goal is to combine chicken cells and plant material to faithfully recreate both the taste and texture of chicken meat without having to, you know, kill any chickens. If successful, that’s reason enough to give this production method a shot.
Humanity could reap the benefits of 3D printed chicken as well. KFC claims that “biomeat” has other nutritional and environmental benefits. The 3D printing process allows for the creation of “chicken” without needing any of the additives or antibiotics that have become a hallmark of large-scale or factory farming.
Unsurprisingly, it’s also better for the planet. KFC cites a study from the American Environmental Science & Technology Journal that claims this sort of lab-grown meat releases 25 times less greenhouse gas and 100 times less land than traditional farming methods. Sounds like it could go a lot further than simply changing cow diets.
In terms of project status, KFC’s press release indicates that testing of a “final product” is scheduled for Moscow, the home of 3D Bioprinting Solutions, in the fall of 2020. Exactly when it comes to America likely depends on how it’s received in Russia. But with meat production supply chains still strained and the whole “climate change” thing not going away, KFC’s attempt to bring lab grown chicken nuggets to mainstream fast food consumers might just be crazy enough to work.