NUS Scientists Produce Lab-Grown Pork with Red Sorghum Grain

In the past decade, cultured meats have made significant advances and milestones in the US, where lab-grown chickens are available in some restaurants. In a recent study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, scientists expanded the applications of cultured meats to lab-grown pork with red sorghum grain.

Cultured meats are emerging eco-friendly alternatives to traditional meats, alongside plant-based meats. These types of meat substitutes require less land and water and emit fewer greenhouse gases during production. However, the commonly used proteins, including wheat gluten, pea protein, and soy protein, may not be appropriate for people with gluten intolerance or allergies.

Linzhi Jing and colleagues from the National University of Singapore (NUS) Research Institute used kafirin, a protein found in sorghum grain, as a water-insoluble, gluten-free scaffold to grow cultured pork prototypes. Their study found that cultured pork contains more protein and saturated fat and fewer mono- and polyunsaturated fats. They also observed that the red pigments from sorghum gave the cultured meat a color similar to pork and some antioxidant properties.