Lab-Grown Chicken Nuggets Mirror Real Meat Taste and Appearance

Scientists Develop Lab-Grown Chicken Nuggets: A Sustainable Future for Meat?
By Xantha Leatham, Executive Science Editor
Published: 16:00 BST, 16 April 2025 | Updated: 16:00 BST, 16 April 2025

Chicken, a global culinary staple, has inspired a futuristic twist: lab-grown nuggets. Researchers at the University of Tokyo have engineered chicken nuggets using real chicken cells, offering a potential eco-friendly and ethical alternative to traditional meat.

The Science Behind the Bite

The team harvested chicken fibroblast cells (connective tissue cells) and cultivated them using a device mimicking a circulatory system. Fifty ultra-thin hollow fibers delivered nutrients and oxygen, enabling the cells to grow into a 2cm-thick piece of meat in just nine days.

The lab-grown chicken has a texture and taste profile similar to real meat.

Stress tests confirmed the lab-grown meat’s texture matches conventional chicken. While amino acid analysis revealed slightly higher sweetness and umami levels, researchers aim to refine the flavor to mirror traditional chicken more closely.

Overcoming Technical Challenges

Previous lab-grown tissues were limited to 1mm thickness due to nutrient delivery challenges. Professor Shoji Takeuchi explained, “Our hollow fibers—similar to water filters or dialysis machines—allow nutrient distribution, enabling denser, larger tissues.” This innovation could also advance regenerative medicine, such as organ growth.

The device uses hollow fibers to deliver nutrients, mimicking blood vessels.

Environmental and Ethical Benefits

Lab-grown meat could reduce the environmental impact of livestock farming, which contributes significantly to greenhouse gases. The UK’s £15 million National Alternative Protein Innovation Centre (NAPIC) is exploring similar sustainable proteins, including cultured meat and insects, to address global food demands.

Would You Try It?

While current meat alternatives like soy and Quorn remain niche, lab-grown products could revolutionize diets. The Tokyo team’s breakthrough, detailed in Trends in Biotechnology, highlights structured meat production with improved texture and scalability.

Lab-grown tissue before hollow fiber removal.

As technology advances, these nuggets may soon hit supermarket shelves, offering a sustainable solution without compromising taste. Would you take a bite?

For more on lab-grown meat, see our factbox below:
How Is Lab-Grown Meat Made?
Stem cells from animal tissue are cultured in nutrient-rich bioreactors, developing into skeletal muscle over weeks. First pioneered in 2013 with lab-grown beef, companies like Memphis Meats have since produced poultry and meatballs using this method.

Lab-grown meatballs from Memphis Meats.

This innovation marks a step toward a future where meat production is kinder to animals and the planet.

Share your thoughts: Would you try lab-grown chicken nuggets?

(Word count: ~600)