麻豆社

Scientists in South Korea have created a new type of hybrid food that they say could offer an affordable and eco-friendly source of protein - they are calling it 'meaty' rice.

The research team first coated the rice in fish gelatine to help the beef cells latch on, before the grains were cultured in a petri dish.

Bridget Benelam is a nutrition scientist from the British Nutrition Foundation. She joined Newsday, with her son, to consider whether the pink-coloured rice will catch on.

"This is a really interesting innovation. They've increased the protein content of rice by eight per cent... so it's an increase but it's a small increase. If you develop these products and people don't eat them... then that's a real problem we need to think about. Sometimes people don't like messing with their staple foods."

(Pic: Protein-infused rice; Credit: Yonsei University)