Lab-Grown pork innovates with sorghum protein

Sorghum grain enhances cultured pork properties

Cultured meat production has seen the introduction of a sorghum grain protein-based scaffold, enhancing both the sensory and nutritional qualities of lab-grown pork.

This innovation, detailed in the ACS’ Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, marks an advance over previous methods that relied on potentially allergenic substances like wheat gluten or soy protein.

The research team, led by Linzhi Jing and Dejian Huang, successfully extracted kafirin protein from red sorghum to create a porous, cube-shaped scaffold that supports the growth of pork muscle and fat cells. The scaffold's development involves soaking sugar cubes in a kafirin solution, which, after the sugar is dissolved, leaves a stable, three-dimensional framework for cell growth.

This scaffold allowed pork stem cells to thrive and differentiate effectively over a 12-day period. The final product contained higher levels of protein and saturated fats, with a reduction in mono- and polyunsaturated fats, compared to conventional pork cuts.

The inherent red pigments of sorghum also contributed to the cultured meat's color and provided additional antioxidant benefits.

While the prototype showed promising results, further research is needed to refine the textural properties of the meat post-cooking, as it retained a similar appearance to its raw state.