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As part of its ‘Meat of the Future’ campaign, KFC is developing laboratory-produced chicken nuggets to roll out in 2020.
As the food industry vies for a more regenerative and sustainable future, fast food chains are being pressured to meet growing demands for animal alternatives. On that front, KFC are plotting something potentially ground-breaking for 2020.
The fried chicken mecca is opening its chest of secret ingredients and seasonings to a Russian bio-printing firm called 3D Bio-printing Solutions. Armed with KFC’s signature breading and spices, the Moscow-based affiliate is confident it can ‘replicate the taste and texture of genuine chicken’ using ‘bio-printed meat’ created from chicken cells and plant material. If this proves to be the case, lab-grown nuggets are coming to Russia before the year’s end.
Citing a study by the American Environmental Science and Technology Journal, KFC outlined its plan to become more sustainable with its ‘Meat of the Future’ campaign. A spokesperson stated, ‘The technology of growing meat from cells has minimal negative impact on the environment, allowing energy consumption to be cut by more than half, greenhouse gas emissions to be reduced 25 fold, and 100 times less land to be used than traditional farm-based meat production.’
Though the chicken in question won’t have been reared and killed, the lab meat can’t be considered veggie as it will possess the same cellular makeup as the animal, minus all the sentient stuff. This is sure to provide many with a first guilt-free opportunity to tuck into a bucket or Zinger burger, but KFC has assured regulars that it will continue investing in Beyond Meat recipes using strictly plant-based ingredients.
If you were feeling hungry to this point, we’re about to kill your cravings stone dead. Our previous exploration of bio-printing and its potential to cultivate human tissue and form artificial organs for transplants threw up a number of significant drawbacks; progress is constantly upended by red tape and legislation, the funding implications are huge, but the most pertinent downside in this case is the process just takes so damn long. As you can probably gather, that doesn’t spell good news for a fast food joint.
However, the process of mimicking a simple protein is likely far easier that sculping a functioning organ. The fact that KFC is yet to be deterred is a positive sign and displays real confidence in the process. determined to push the mainstream launch of cell-based meat products, probably with a view to garnering public favour and potential sponsorship deals going forward, the fast food giant is targeting a roll out in Russia this year.
We’re beginning to wise up to companies that masquerade as being morally conscious with blue washing gimmicks. In this instance, the science is there. This doesn’t seem like one of them.
