KFC To Debut 3D-Printed Chicken This Fall: It’s The Meat Of The Future

This Fall, KFC, the fast-food chain known for its finger-lickin’ chicken, will be debuting a new restaurant concept, 3D-printed chicken, otherwise known as “the meat of the future.” The restaurant announced that it had launched 3D bioprinting technology that can make chicken meat in collaboration with the 3D Bioprinting Solutions research lab in Moscow, Russia.

According to the press release, the 3D-printed chicken nuggets will closely resemble the taste and look of KFC’s original chicken nuggets.

The idea of “the meat of the future” came in light of the increased attraction to a healthy lifestyle and nutrition, the yearly surge in demand for alternatives to traditional meat, and the desire to create more “environmentally friendly” ways of food production.

The international fast-food chain believes the production of 3D-printed nuggets will be “more environmentally friendly” than its traditional chicken nuggets’ production process.

The fall release will mark the first debut of a lab-grown chicken nugget at a global fast-food chain like KFC.

In the press release, Raisa Polyakova, the General Manager of KFC Russia and the Commonwealth Independent States said:

“Crafted meat products are the next step in the development of our’ restaurant of the future’ concept. 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.”

In agreeance with Polyakoya, co-founder and managing partner of 3D Bioprinting Solutions, Yusef Khesuani stated:

“3D bioprinting technologies, initially widely recognized in medicine, are nowadays gaining popularity in producing foods such as meat. In the future, the rapid development of such technologies will allow us to make 3D-printed meat products more accessible, and we are hoping that the technology created as a result of our cooperation with KFC will help accelerate the launch of cell-based meat products on the market.”    

The exact release date of the 3D-printed chicken nuggets has not been announced.