Fastfood goliath KFC is looking at ways to take the next evolution of food beyond Beyond Meat by 3D printing its chicken nuggets.
While still very much in the experimenting phase, the company’s partnership with Russian tech firm 3D Bioprinting Solutions, is a peek into what the future of fast food could be.
Although the 3D printing of edible products has been tested for several years, should a globe-spanning company the size of KFC be able to successfully roll out a manufactured alternative to its chicken products, it could have a huge impact on several industries.
The method involves combining chicken cells and plant material to reproduce the taste and texture of chicken meat. As part of the partnership 3D Bioprinting will provide the technology and the equipment, while KFC’s contribution will be the ingredients, particularly its top-secret blend of spices that made it an icon in the fast-food industry.
The economic, environmental, and ethical benefits of the process could be enormous. With the removal of chickens, the biomeat promises the same nutrients and microelements in the original but without the additives that animal meat gets from traditional farming and animal raising. Growing meat from cells supposedly has less impact on the environment and reduces energy consumption by half.
Of course, this is all easier said than done. The success of the project will all depend on whether the two companies will be able to faithfully recreate the taste and feel of the real deal. Customers in Moscow will be the first to test that theory when the final product becomes ready by later this year.
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