3D Printed Burgers Coming to a Menu Near You

Lab-grown hamburgers.

Image Courtesy of Flickr, tricky (rick harrison)

Don't be surprised when you see 3D-printed burger, hot dogs and chicken strips on the fast-food menu of the future. But, if you want try a printer-fresh burger now, it might set you back a hefty amount.

Since we're at the cusp of research, a burger costs about $300,000 to produce. As the technology improves, the cost will dwindle, according to researchers. One of the industry companies leading the charge is U.S. startup Modern Meadow, set up by father-and-son duo Gabor and Andras Forgacs. To these scientists, printed meat will help divert the environment consequences of producing meat products for a rising global population.

The tissue engineering firm develops synthetic meat and leather without harming animals or the environment in the process. The faux meat is made the same way other 3D-printed materials are created. Material, in this case bioink made from thousands of living cells, is injected into a 3D printer nozzle, which prints patties layer by layer. The end result: a burger good enough to flip.

[via BBC]

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