Scientists create lab-grown chunks of chicken in 'breakthrough' that could pave way for larger cuts of meat

A team of Japanese scientists have created chunks of lab-grown chicken - in a "breakthrough" experts say could pave the way for the creation of larger cuts of meat.

In the quest to cultivate meat without the climate impact of farmed animals, scientists have so far only been able to grow tiny chunks of animal cells that have been used to recreate minced meat products like pork meatballs. But a Japanese team has pioneered a new method to grow larger pieces of chicken in a lab, which they say recreates the texture and structure of a piece of meat that has so far proved so elusive.

Independent experts have hailed it a "breakthrough" and a "meaningful technical achievement". The researchers involved believe it paves the way for whole cuts of chicken, beef, and fish to be grown in the lab.

"Cultured meat offers a sustainable, ethical alternative to conventional meat," said Shoji Takeuchi from Tokyo University, senior author of the paper published this week in peer-reviewed journal Trends in Biotechnology. "However, replicating the texture and taste of whole-cut meat remains difficult.

Our technology enables the production of structured meat with improved texture and flavour." Their method used fine hollow fibres that mimic blood vessels to deliver oxygen and nutrients to living chicken muscle cells, growing them into lumps of meat up to 2cm long and 1cm thick, weighing 10 grams. "These fibres are already commonly used in household water filters and dialysis machines for patients with kidney disease.

"It's exciting to discover that these tiny fibres can also effectively help create artificial tissues and, possibly, whole organs in the future." Overcoming the 'ick factor' Prof Derek Stewart from The James Hutton Institute, told Sky News: "I'd class this as a technical breakthrough". Dr Rodrigo Amaro-Ledesma from Imperial College London called it a "meaningful technical achievement that they have produced a cultivated chicken meat several centimetres thick".

This, combined with other work on fine-tuning flavours and reducing costs, puts us "comfortably on track towards an exciting and appealing new range of products.