The pinnacle of technology is this: Japan uses 3D biological printing technology to create the first Wagyu beef. The day is coming when users can eat Wagyu beef without slaughtering any cows

Scientists at Japan’s Osaka University have found a way to 3D print Wagyu beef in the lab – a step they believe will one day help create widely produced cultured cuts of meat. and sustainable like the original products.

By using stem cells taken from Wagyu beef, scientists have been able to create a marbled texture (also known as sashi) characteristic of Wagyu beef to set it apart from other meats. other cows.

Wagyu beef is considered a luxury dish for about 200 USD/pound.

By isolating beef cells, the scientists arranged the stacking of muscles, blood vessels and fat. They then shaped these tissues into steaks using a technique called 3D bioprinting, where cellular structures can be layered to resemble real tissues of living organisms.

The researchers believe that the fact that a Wagyu steak can be precisely 3D printed is a big step towards a sustainable future where cultured meat can be created to closely resemble real meat. The fact that it comes from real meat also sets it apart from the plant-based meat options being created by companies like Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods.

“By improving this technology, we can not only reproduce the intricate, marble-like textures of Wagyu beef, but also make adjustments to the fat and muscle components,” said Michya Matsusaki – said the scientist of the research group.

With this research, Michiya Matsusaki believes that one day customers will be able to order a portion of meat cultured with the amount of fat they desire, prepared according to their preferences and health.

Wagyu beef is inherently expensive with prices up to 200 USD/pound for the premium grade. Mature Waguy also costs more than $30,000. In 2019, Japan’s Wagyu beef exports reached a record high of $268.8 million in profit, up from 2018.

While this is the first Wagyu steak to be 3D printed, attempts at bioprinting steaks have been around before that. In February of this year, Aleph Farms and the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Techion Israel Institute of Technology came together to bioprint and culture ribeye steaks using real cow cells.