Alternative proteins
The technology of cultivated meat
The cultivated meat research ecosystem has been developing rapidly in recent years. Several companies and research groups around the world are racing to bring meat cultivation to industrial scale and onto consumers’ plates.
Credit: Aleph Farms
Credit: GOOD Meat
What is cultivated meat
First, it's important to understand that cultivated meat is real meat, just like conventional meat. It's composed of the same types of cells arranged in a three-dimensional structure similar to animal muscle tissue, and therefore, it's capable of replicating the sensory and nutritional profile of meat that consumers are already familiar with. The difference lies in the production, which takes place in bioreactors in a factory environment, without the need to raise or slaughter animals.
This change in the production process solves several problems in the conventional meat production chain, reducing, for example, land use, water use, CO2 emissions, and the use of antibiotics used in animal farming. Cultivated meat is free of inedible components, has a shorter production time, and is more efficient in terms of the amount of nutrients required to produce each kilogram of meat, compared to conventional meat.
Characteristics of the cultivated meat production process
Credit: GOOD Meat
The first stage of the process involves isolating cells collected from animal tissue—usually stem cells. These cells are then multiplied in vitro to later differentiate into the cells that make up meat.
Two main types of cells can be used: primary cells, which are cultured directly from animal tissue, and cell lines, which are adapted to be maintained for long periods in culture. The idea is that cells are selected, characterized, and frozen in small batches, allowing for gradual use over time, without the need for further collection.
Credit: Aleph Farms
Once collected, the cells are isolated and cultured in an appropriate culture medium. The composition of the medium plays a fundamental role in the cultivated meat production process, as it can influence important factors such as cell growth efficiency and the final characteristics of the product.
Credit: Bluu Seafood
One of the biggest challenges facing cultivated meat is industrial-scale production. For this to be possible, the industrial-scale cultivation process must take place in bioreactors. Bioreactors allow the process to be automated, planned, and tailored to each cell type, reducing human handling and the risk of contamination. These tools allow for a controlled environment, standardizing the industrial process.
Credit: Upside Foods
After the cell culture process is complete, the cultivated meat is collected for use as fresh meat – ground beef, steaks, chicken pieces, fish fillets, etc. – or it can be used as raw material in the production of various meat products such as hamburgers, breaded meats, meatballs, sausages, among others. Just like conventional meat, products resulting from cell culture must undergo quality control, inspection and have their nutritional composition stated on the label.
Want to know more?
Read our roundup of Q&As and technical updates on the health and safety of cultivated meat.
Check out the detailed steps involved in producing cultivated meat
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The importance of a robust compilation of state-of-the-art data in market development motivated a partnership between GFI Brazil and the Food Technology Institute (Ital). As a result, we launched three issues, one for each technology used in the production of alternative proteins.
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