Cultured meat from muscle stem cells: A review of challenges and prospects

Abstract

Growing muscle tissue in culture from animal stem cells to produce meat theoretically eliminates the need to sacrifice animals. So-called "cultured" or "synthetic" or "in vitro" meat could in theory be constructed with different characteristics and be produced faster and more efficiently than traditional meat. The technique to generate cultured muscle tissues from stem cells was described long ago, but has not yet been developed for the commercial production of cultured meat products. The technology is at an early stage and prerequisites of implementation include a reasonably high level of consumer acceptance, and the development of commercially-viable means of large scale production. Recent advancements in tissue culture techniques suggest that production may be economically feasible, provided it has physical properties in terms of colour, flavour, aroma, texture and palatability that are comparable to conventional meat. Although considerable progress has been made during recent years, important issues remain to be resolved, including the characterization of social and ethical constraints, the fine-tuning of culture conditions, and the development of culture media that are cost-effective and free of animal products. Consumer acceptance and confidence in in vitro produced cultured meat might be a significant impediment that hinders the marketing process. (Résumé d'auteur

Microcarriers for Upscaling Cultured Meat Production

“…Several methods of producing cultured meat have been proposed and different cell types have been considered, including embryonic stem cells (ESCs), induced pluripotent stem cells (IPSCs), mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and satellite cells (SCs) (8,(11)(12)(13), The latter, also called bovine muscle stem cells, seem the most straight-forward, suitable candidates for this purpose. They are mononuclear cells which can be found between the basal membrane and the sarcolemma of nearby muscle fibers in mammalian's skeletal muscles (14).…”

The Myth of Cultured Meat: A Review

“…Among the solutions, cultured meat is presented as a good alternative (37,38) for consumers who want to be more responsible but do not wish to change the composition of their diet (10)(11)(12)(13).…”

“…As a consequence, more efficient ways of protein production are being developed to sustain the growing global population while complying with today's challenges, such as environmental and animal welfare issues (9). Among the solutions, cultured meat is presented by its advocates as a sustainable alternative for consumers who want to be more responsible but do not wish to change the composition of their diet (10)(11)(12)(13). The history of cultured meat was detailed by Hamdan et al (14), and a bibliometric analysis of publications about this subject was carried out by Fernandes et al (15).…”

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

“…While learning about the cultured meat, initial reactions were underpinned by considerations of unnaturalness and feelings of disgust that induced some kind of fear of the unknown. The consumers acknowledged the possible benefits of this technology at the global level and envisaged some direct personal benefits Kadim et al (2015) A review on the prospects and challenges of cultured meat…”