Gluten-Free Lab-Grown Pork: New Cultured Meat Uses Sorghum for Enhanced Texture and Nutrition
Lab-grown meat has gained momentum in recent years, and the latest breakthrough brings a new twist with the creation of gluten-free cultured pork.
This innovative development uses kafirin, a protein derived from red sorghum, as a scaffold to grow meat in a laboratory, providing a stable, allergen-friendly structure to support pork stem cells.
According to a recent study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, this new approach offers an alternative to the commonly used protein scaffolds like wheat gluten and soy, both of which can trigger allergies and require extra processing.
The research team, led by Linzhi Jing and Dejian Huang, introduced a method where kafirin, extracted from red sorghum flour, was used to create a porous scaffold for cell growth.
“The team extracted kafirin from red sorghum flour and constructed a porous, 3D protein scaffold by soaking sugar cubes in the kafirin solution,” the study notes.
After the sugar dissolved, a supportive structure was left behind, allowing pork stem cells to grow into muscle and fat cells. Jing and Huang’s team observed that after twelve days, “the cells had readily attached to the kafirin and were differentiating into pork muscle and fat cells.”
One major advantage of using kafirin is its resistance to water, which simplifies the production process. The research highlights that unlike other plant-based proteins, kafirin doesn’t require extensive treatment, allowing it to support the growth of animal cells more effectively.
Notably, “red pigments from the sorghum provided the cultured meat with a pork-like color and some antioxidant properties,” according to the study’s findings.
Although the team notes that “additional work is needed to fine-tune the nutritional and textural properties,” the prototype demonstrated encouraging results, with the cultured pork offering higher protein and saturated fat levels compared to raw lean pork.
This innovation underscores how cultured meat technology is evolving, with sorghum-based scaffolds offering a practical alternative for those with dietary restrictions and paving the way for more allergen-friendly lab-grown meats in the future.
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