KFC has tried meat alternatives in the past and now sells plant-based nuggets in dozens of restaurants around the country. Now, the fast food chain has added a new way to prepare chicken nuggets, 3D printing.
“KFC is taking the next step in its innovative concept of creating a “restaurant of the future” by launching the development of innovative 3D bioprinting technology to create chicken meat in cooperation with the 3D Bioprinting Solutions research laboratory,” a statement said. “The idea of crafting the “meat of the future” arose among partners in response to the growing popularity of a healthy lifestyle and nutrition, the annual increase in demand for alternatives to traditional meat and the need to develop more environmentally friendly methods of food production.”
3D Bioprinting solutions uses chicken cells and plant material to produce the taste and texture of chicken without animals. According to KFC, the “biomeat” will have the same microelements of the original, but will be a “cleaner final product.”
The 3D printed nuggets will debut in Moscow, Russia in the Fall of 2020. The goal is to have both the taste and appearance of the original KFC product.
“At KFC, we are closely monitoring all of the latest trends and innovations and doing our best to keep up with the times by introducing advanced technologies to our restaurant networks. Crafted meat products are the next step in the development of our “restaurant of the future” concept,” said Raisa Polyakova, General Manager of KFC Russia & CIS. “Our experiment in testing 3D bioprinting technology to create chicken products can also help address several looming global problems. We are glad to contribute to its development and are working to make it available to thousands of people in Russia and, if possible, around the world.”