Bringing cultured meat to market: Technical, socio-political, and regulatory challenges in cellular agriculture

Abstract

BackgroundCultured meat forms part of the emerging field of cellular agriculture. Still an early stage field it seeks to deliver products traditionally made through livestock rearing in novel forms that require no, or significantly reduced, animal involvement. Key examples include cultured meat, milk, egg white and leather. Here, we focus upon cultured meat and its technical, socio-political and regulatory challenges and opportunities.Scope and approachThe paper reports the thinking of an interdisciplinary team, all of whom have been active in the field for a number of years. It draws heavily upon the published literature, as well as our own professional experience. This includes ongoing laboratory work to produce cultured meat and over seventy interviews with experts in the area conducted in the social science work.Key findings and conclusionsCultured meat is a promising, but early stage, technology with key technical challenges including cell source, culture media, mimicking the in-vivo myogenesis environment, animal-derived and synthetic materials, and bioprocessing for commercial-scale production. Analysis of the social context has too readily been reduced to ethics and consumer acceptance, and whilst these are key issues, the importance of the political and institutional forms a cultured meat industry might take must also be recognised, and how ambiguities shape any emergent regulatory system.

Mammalian cell cultivation using nutrients extracted from microalgae

“…Cultured cells have also greatly contributed to the advancement of basic academic science fields such as cell biology, biochemistry, genetics, physiology, and molecular biology . More recently, cultured muscle cells have been used as the cell source of “cultured meat.” The idea is to use cultured animal cells as a source of animal protein. Cultured meat is noted worldwide as “the third stage in meat production” after hunting and livestock farming.…”

“…6 More recently, cultured muscle cells have been used as the cell source of "cultured meat." [7][8][9][10] The idea is to use cultured animal cells as a source of animal protein. Cultured meat is noted worldwide as "the third stage in meat production" after hunting and livestock farming.…”

The Myth of Cultured Meat: A Review

“…Due to the rise in demand for protein analogs, cultured meat sales may increase in the near future (34). Indeed, some researchers consider this new meat as a vegetarian productgood news for the expanding number of consumers who are incorporating more vegetarian and vegan choices into their diets (40,41).…”

Technological, Regulatory, and Ethical Aspects of In Vitro Meat: A Future Slaughter‐Free Harvest

“…Further, currently animal origin components such as fetal calf serum are traditionally used in media for culturing cells in medical research, although mature animals and other animals, such as horse serum, could be used. For both stages of skeletal muscle development, the culture media is usually supplemented with 10% to 20% of growth media (Stephens et al., ) with 0.5% to 2% of fetal calf serum or horse serum at the differentiation stage (Burattini et al., ; Chiron et al., ). In addition to antibiotics or antibiotic/antimitotics that are quite common ingredients for cell cultures, specifically long‐term cultures, some cultures also require chicken embryo extract.…”