Scientists create lab-grown chicken nuggets that look and taste just like real meat - so, would YOU try them?
Whether it's barbecued, breaded, roasted, grilled or poached, chicken is firm favourite across the world.
Now, scientists have put a modern spin on a classic chicken dish - the humble nugget.
Experts have used chicken cells to create lab-grown chicken nuggets.
This might sound like something from science fiction.
However, the team behind them reassure that the bite-sized chicken chunks have the same texture as real meat.
According to the experts, from the University of Tokyo, the fake nuggets are more environmentally friendly than flesh from livestock.
And in the future, they could offer an ethical alternative to conventional meat.
So, would you try them?
The lab-grow chicken chunk which has a similar texture and taste profile to that of the real thing
The scientist used a device which mimics the circulatory system by delivering nutrients and oxygen to the artificial tissue through 50 extremely thin hollow fibres
To create the nuggets, the team first collected chicken fibroblast cells, which make up the animals' connective tissue.
They used a device which mimics the circulatory system by delivering nutrients and oxygen to the artificial tissue through 50 extremely thin hollow fibres.
Nine days later – after the hollow fibres had been removed - a 2cm piece of lab-grown chicken was the result.
Stress tests revealed it had a similar texture to normal chicken meat.
While analysis of amino acids in the lab-grown chicken showed it had similar levels of 'bitterness' to normal chicken, it also had slightly higher sweetness and umami taste profiles – something the researchers will work towards improving.
The team said that previously, lab-grown animal tissues have been limited to a thickness of less than 1mm, making it challenging to produce larger tissues with densely-packed cells.
'We're using semipermeable hollow fibres which mimic blood vessels in their ability to deliver nutrients to the tissues,' Professor Shoji Takeuchi, the study's senior author, said.
'These fibres are already commonly used in household water filters and dialysis machines for patients with kidney disease.
The chicken meat tissue before the hollow fibres were removed. Stress tests revealed it had a similar texture to traditional chicken meat
The breakthrough puts scientists one step closer to developing lab grown chicken nuggets (stock image)
'It's exciting to discover that these tiny fibres can also effectively help create artificial tissues.'
The team said their technology 'enables the production of structured meat with 'improved texture and flavour'.
They added that it could also serve as a base for the development of regenerative medicine – for example growing organs.
Writing in the journal Trends in Biotechnology they said: 'This breakthrough underscores the potential of this platform for large-scale tissue manufacturing.'
Last year it was announced that a project to develop lab-grown meat and insect products in the UK will received £15million taxpayers' money.
The National Alternative Protein Innovation Centre (NAPIC) is being set up in the hope of finding net zero alternatives to the likes of steak and chicken.
Scientists will research insects, cultured meats – produced in a lab using animal cells – and even edible algae, hoping to find tasty, affordable and healthy proteins which help to reduce emissions as the global population continues to rise.
Currently available protein alternatives, such as soy milk and quorn mince, only make up a small percentage of our daily protein intake.
HOW IS 'TEST TUBE MEAT' GROWN IN A LABORATORY?
'Test tube meat' is a term used to describe meat products grown in a laboratory
'Test tube meat' is a term used to describe meat products grown in a laboratory.
They are made by harvesting stem cells from the muscle tissue of living livestock.
The cells, which have the ability to regenerate, are then cultured in a nutrient soup of sugars and minerals.
These cells are then left to develop inside bioreactor tanks into skeletal muscle that can be harvested in just a few weeks.
Lab-grown beef was first created by Dutch scientists in 2013. A test tube hamburger was served at a restaurant in London to two food critics.
In March 2017, San Francisco firm Memphis Meats successfully grew poultry meat from stem cells for the first time.
In March 2017, San Francisco firm Memphis Meats successfully grew poultry meat from stem cells for the first time. The company also makes lab-grown meatballs (pictured)
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