Food safety considerations and research priorities for the cultured meat and seafood industry

Abstract

Cell-cultured meat and seafood offer a sustainable opportunity to meet the world's increasing demand for protein in a climate-changed world. A responsible, data-driven approach to assess and demonstrate safety of cell-cultured meat and seafood can support consumer acceptance and help fully realize the potential of these products. As an initial step toward a thorough demonstration of safety, this review identifies hazards that could be introduced during manufacturing, evaluates applicability of existing safety assessment approaches, and highlights research priorities that could support safe commercialization. Input was gathered from members of the cultured meat and seafood industry, researchers, regulators, and food safety experts. A series of workshops were held with 87 industry representatives and researchers to create a modular manufacturing process diagram, which served as a framework to identify potential chemical and biological hazards along the steps of the manufacturing process that could affect the safety of a final food product. Interviews and feedback on draft documents validated the process diagram and supported hazard identification and evaluation of applicable safety methods. Most hazards are not expected to be novel; therefore, safety assessment methods from a range of fields, such as conventional and novel foods, foods produced from biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, and so forth, are likely to be applicable. However, additional assessment of novel inputs or products with significant differences from existing foods may be necessary. Further research on the safety of the inputs and associated residues, potential for contamination, and development of standardized safety assessment approaches (particularly animalfree methods) is recommended.

Seafood Processing, Preservation, and Analytical Techniques in the Age of Industry 4.0

“…For example, Balaban and others described the use of specialized robotics for different tasks (e.g., sorting/handling and processing) in seafood industry [38]. The increasing demand for protein and the recent biotechnological advances emerged with the arrival of Industry 4.0 era have motivated many companies to develop cell-cultured seafood products [39,40]. One example of these companies is BlueNalu (see https://www.bluenalu.com/ (accessed on 27 November 2021)) that produces whole muscle, cell-cultured seafood products directly from living cells isolated from fish tissue.…”

Biotechnological and Technical Challenges Related to Cultured Meat Production

“…The current cells culturing method involves the use of specific growth media, which contain all those substances necessary to ensure cell proliferation such as glucose, inorganic salts, amino acids, vitamins, growth factors, antibiotics, and antifungals. Other substances can be added to confer organoleptic properties, such as proteins or pigments that give a meat-like color [18]. However, to date, viable alternatives to classical culture media are being sought, where the goal is to introduce into the medium edible by-products to ensure rapid cell growth.…”

Cellular Aquaculture: Prospects and Challenges

“…Cell-based studies are amongst the most important tools in cellular and molecular biology, serving as excellent model systems for studying cell physiology and biochemistry [16]. In the final product, contamination may occur due to process residuals during growth factors or scaffolding and may pose a new challenge for cellular aquaculture [119]. Cells may interact with recombinant proteins or small molecules during the early stages of production to help with growth and differentiation [118].…”

“…Cells may interact with recombinant proteins or small molecules during the early stages of production to help with growth and differentiation [118]. The selection of appropriate fish or shellfish raw materials with a lower risk of cross-contamination of pathogens; regular testing of cell banks and in-process materials to ensure free from microbes; and finally, the incorporation of steps to remove and deactivate potential undetected adventitious and endogenous viral contaminants during purification of the product [119]. A significant portion of this research, however, is misleading because the cell lines are of a different origin than the one claimed.…”

“…PCR has been used to validate the cells, both in the initial primary source cells and in the cells in the cultured meat final product. In addition to PCR, product-enhanced reverse transcriptase (PERT), or immune-based assays, Short Tandem Repeat (STR) profiling, or COI gene assays, is required to test for adventitious agents (primarily pathogens) and validate cell identity [16,119]. Producing animal meat in a confined sterile environment could prevent problems including antimicrobial resistance genes, pollutants, food allergens, and zoonotic diseases, and improve food safety.…”