Selwyn_Times: September 20, 2023

Wednesday September 20 2023 Selwyn Times
Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
NEWS 17
‘Balls of fruity deliciousness’
• By Adam Burns
SCIENTISTS BELIEVE fruit
production using lab-grown
plant cells could be a solution to
the challenges facing growers.
The work of the Plant and
Food Research team in Lincoln,
which is exploring fruit production
with not a tree, bush or vine
in sight, has been described as
ground-breaking.
Researchers on the trials hope
to recreate the taste and nutritional
benefits of regular fruit.
The team has been working
with cells from several different
fruits, including blueberries,
apples, cherries, feijoas, peaches,
nectarines and grapes, for the
past 18 months.
Plant and Food Research’s fiveyear
trials are funded through
the Ministry of Business, Innovation
and Employment’s strategic
science investment fund.
Food by Design programme
leader Ben Schon said although
it’s “early days”, he was excited
by what the team had found so
far.
“Cellular horticulture currently
has a smaller profile than
cellular agriculture and aquaculture,”
he said.
“But we believe this is a really
exciting area of science where
we can utilise our expertise in
plant biology and food science to
SCIENCE: Food by Design programme leader Ben Schon and strategy leader Samantha Baldwin look at a collection of
cells in the laboratory. Right – A cluster of blueberry cells. PHOTOS: ADAM BURNS / RNZ / PLANT & FOOD RESEARCH
explore what could become a significant
food production system
in the future.”
The challenge was to create an
end product that was nutritious
and had a taste, texture and appearance
that people were familiar
with. Schon said the team are
yet to hit this key marker.
“In order to grow a piece of
food that is desirable to eat, we
will need more than just a collection
of cells. So we are also
investigating approaches that are
likely to deliver a fresh food eating
experience.
“The aim isn’t to try and completely
replicate a piece of fruit
that’s grown in the traditional
way, but rather create a new food
with equally appealing properties.”
Unlike the burgeoning labgrown
meat sector, its fruit
counterpart is small globally.
High interest and development
in controlled environment and
cellular food production systems
have been reported, with more
than 80 companies worldwide
looking to commercialise labgrown
meat and seafood
Strategy leader Dr Samantha
Baldwin said cellular growing
could solve some major hurdles
food producers are facing,
including climate change and
urban population growth.
“Globally, we are seeing
rapid growth in both the vertical
farming, controlled environment
growing as well as cell-cultured
meat spaces.
“It’s possible that cell-cultured
plant foods could be a solution to
urban population growth, with
requirements for secure and safe
food supply chains close to these
urbanised markets.”
Baldwin said the methods
could be of use to outdoor fruit
growers, including providing a
better understanding of fruit cell
behaviour.
“We’re talking about cellular
horticulture, but actually that
knowledge of how the fruit tissue
is made, how it ripens, how that
is then sensed by the consumer,
all of that can actually go into
outdoor production in improving
the flavour, the taste, the
texture of what is being currently
grown in the orchards.”
Similarly, other groups
have pointed to the enormous
possibilities of growing fruit in a
controlled environment. – RNZ
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