The never-ending demands of the rising population poses a threat to food security, due to the presence of limited resources, which can adversely affect future generations. As the number of stomachs to be filled increases day by day, it has become a necessity to explore sustainable food alternatives. With a majority of the population consuming meat, which is also a major protein source; factory farming will be on the rise until and unless better substitutes are introduced for the consumers. Factory farming is a major cause of greenhouse gases and is an environmental hazard. This is when the idea of lab-grown meat came into the frame to substitute real meat. Lab-grown meat had made its debut in the year 2013 with the introduction of the first lab made hamburger by Mark Post at Maastricht University and the total expense for the production was around US$325,000 (Schaefer and Savulescu 2014). This breakthrough has made many MNC’s invest in the research and development of lab-grown meat.
Read: July 2023 Issue of Food Infotech Magazine.
Lab grown meat also referred to as cultivated meat or cultured meat is the meat grown in a lab in an artificial environment. The sterile cell of a meat animal is used as a substrate for culturing. It is a novel technology in the field of cellular agriculture for the development of ‘real meat’ without actually affecting livestock. It is also sometimes referred to as cultured/cell-based /clean meat/in vitro meat (Stephens et al. 2018). Lab grown meat entirely differs from vegan meat, with it being made completely from plant source starting from the raw material to the final product. (Schaefer and Savulescu 2014)
Processing Technology of Lab Grown Meat
Researchers have developed various methods for the production of cultured meat that are safe as well as substitute the real meat in all aspects, including colour, texture, appearance and other organoleptic properties. The in vitro meat applies the principles of tissue engineering, which is an interdisciplinary field that applies the principles of engineering and life sciences towards the development of biological substitutes, (Behera and Adhikary 2023). The production process in a gist involves the filtration of tissues obtained from animals and isolation of cells which are then treated with adequate nutrients followed by the multiplication of muscle cells resulting in meat. The process can be divided into three major steps: cell line development, scaffolding and bioprocessing.
The initial step in the production of cultivated meat is the selection of relevant cell lines which are then converted to stable starter cells. Cell line development is a pre-requisite for cultured meat and ensures long-term propagation of lab grown/ cultured meat industry. The stem cells collected are efficient for self renewal and can differentiate into further types of cells (muscle cells and fat cells). Myoblasts, myosatellites, myocytes, adipocytes, adipose derived stem cells, fibroblasts and iPSC’s (induced pleuroptent stem cells) are some of the common cell types being used for cultured meat process of which myoblasts and satellite cells are the most preferred ones. (Kamalapuram, Handral and Choudhury 2021)
The starter cells are left to proliferate until it forms a large quantity of biomass. The mass is then furnished with oxygen and an adequate amount of nutrients, such as carbohydrates, amino acids, etc. (Chriki and Hocquette 2020). This is carried out in a bioreactor of continuous or semi-continuous types. Perfusion type bioreactors are exploited for scaffold based cultivated meat production. Other bioreactors used include Stirred tank bioreactors, Wave bioreactors, airlift bioreactors, etc. Here the release from support material is carried out along with cell differentiation.
The muscle tissues obtained are then shaped into scaffoldings and this transforms the cultivated cells into a variety of products. The scaffold /micro carriers are porous structures which mimic physiological conditions of extracellular matrix of a tissue environment and are employed for tissue formation by cell adhesion. Scaffoldings can be made from natural biomaterials like gelatin, algae, cellulose and silk as well as synthetic materials like polyethylene glycol. Hence, bioprocessing includes the final steps of cell expansion, cell differentiation, product manufacture and waste optimization (Behera and Adhikary 2023). IntegriCulture, a Japanese biotechnology startup pioneering in cellular agriculture made cultured meat without adding growth factors from external source. (Liang and Lee 2022)
ETHICAL ISSUES & CONSUMER ACCEPTABILITY
Meat is consumed by many and has become an important part of the diet. However, certain studies have shown that people have reduced the consumption of slaughtered meat, due to its negative impacts and many have adopted plant-based meat products. Now the lab grown meat industry aims to satisfy the growing demand for meat by providing animal-friendly substitutes for meat consumers. Even though cultured meat is said to be sustainable and has the potential to meet the needs of the growing population, consumers dissent against the progress of cultured meat due to differing factors among which the lack of literature being the first and foremost. (Pakseresht, Kaliji, and Canavari 2022)
Different Factors affecting consumer acceptability of cultured meat is shown in Fig 1. Public awareness and media coverage plays a significant part in moulding the attitude of consumers. Oblivious to the technologies and process used in the production of cell-based meat have made the people skeptical, (de Oliveira Padilha, Malek, and Umberger 2022). The dearth of research and publications has led to several controversies, due to the unnaturalness of cell based meat putting the cropping cultured meat industries in dilemma, (Treich 2021).
Therefore, the lab grown meat industry needs to familiarize the product among the general public to eradicate unsavoury arguments, such as disgust sensitivity and neophobia which is an aversion to a new or unfamiliar food. Ethical approach plays a very crucial role in food choices, as it encourages the development of social and societal concerns. Cultured meat is the meat produced from stem cells without actually killing the animals. Animal welfare issues have had a great impact on a fraction of meat consumers to opt for plant-based meat substitutes. The most convincing justification in favour of funding research into the development of cultured meat is arguably the alleviation of animal suffering. Even though it claims to be a slaughter-free and painless method of bioprocessing, it raises concern regarding animal welfare, since in majority of the lab grown meat that is employed, Fetal Bovine Serum (FBS), an animal byproduct is used, which acts as a nutrient supplement in the in vitro cell culture system. (Chriki and Hocquette 2020) Pregnant cows are killed to collect blood from the unborn calves to obtain FBS. It is done using the process of cardiac puncture. Chicken embryo extract or Horse serum are also used for cell culture (Swartz 2017). Moreover, the biopsy (size of an eraser) taken from live animals to isolate relevant stem cells conflicts with the notion of a cruelty-free method of cultured meat production. Another concern raised regarding the unacceptability of cell-based meat is the disrespect towards nature. Nature has its own identity and unique way of bringing a new life. The idea of cultured meat triggers the beliefs and perceptions of various organizations of environmental and animal welfare groups. (Bryant and Barnett 2020)
Conventional farming is an environmental disaster and acts as a driving force towards climate change, water pollution, etc. According to the United Nations, 14.5% of the total greenhouse gas emissions are contributed by animal agriculture. Studies show that lab grown meat are much more eco-friendly requiring 99% less land, 45% less energy and 96% less fuel energy, (Sergelidis 2019). In contrast to these claims, certain studies show that cell-based meat is expected to produce more potent ethane and carbon dioxide gas in the long run. Lab grown meat industries use fossil fuels to run their factory which adds on to the cause of greenhouse gas emissions and hence there is no significant difference with factory farming regarding the issue. Also, in the case of cattle, metabolic waste products such as ammonia are removed in the form of fecal matter which in turn acts as nutrients for plants. While the lab grown meat contains a closed nutrient cycle hence waste water disposal possess an environmental concern. The increase in the production of lab-grown meat can result in an imbalanced ecosystem as it increases the population of poultry, cattle and other meat sources. Many farms get abandoned and the animals will be forced into the wild, disturbing the flora and fauna.
The status of in vitro meat has received innumerable religious and philosophical concerns worldwide. Even today, majority of the population believes and follows the religious way of slaughtering animals. In Judaism, some believe that the cultured meat is itself a Kosher (kosher meat is produced following specific Jewish laws and under the supervision of specially licensed rabbis). On the other hand, a few people say that the cells must be obtained from sacrificed kosher animal. Similar to Judaism, in Islam meat is said to be Halal only if these stem cells are from Halal slaughtered meat. This contradicts the objective of cultured meat. Similarly, other major and minor religious communities have shown themselves to be unsettled with the idea of cultured meat.
Factors that depend on the structure of population like age, education and gender are also linked with the acceptance of lab grown meat. Age and gender very much affects the acceptance of cultured meat according to some studies conducted. Children and adolescents are more flexible towards the idea of cultured meat and men were also willing to choose the same. However women preferred reducing the consumption of meat rather than adopting meat. (de Oliveira Padilha et al. 2022; Pakseresht et al. 2022)
Sensory characters of cultured meat influence its acceptance among the consumers. Healthiness of cell-based meat is a factor that can impact the consumer’s choice. A portion of the population believes that processed foods are unhealthy and therefore they prefer traditional farm-raised meat. Many are unaware that cultured meat is healthy. For example, fatty acids and lipid profile of the meat can be altered according to the consumer’s dietary requirements during the manufacturing process and is a better option for people suffering from heart diseases when compared with red meat. It can also be enriched with vitamins, minerals and bioactive compounds which not only conforms the legal standards but can also be changed as per the nutritional demands. (Sergelidis 2019)
Cost of the product is also a major influencing factor that determines the acceptance of a product. Novel foods always attract consumers if they come at a lower price. But the present technologies used for the production of cell-based meat are expensive and hence fails to motivate the price-sensitive consumers. The expense in production has kept down the availability of cultured meat. This makes the consumers to choose plant-based alternatives. However, the development of sustainable and cost-effective lab-grown meat could increase its availability and therefore encourage the buyers to choose cultured meat.
Some of the emerging cell-based manufacturing companies around the world are listed below:
• Mosa Meat – A Netherlands based company, rising up the production of lab grown beef known as “the world’s kindest beef”.
• Eat Just – They received regulatory approval in Singapore for GOOD Meat lab grown chicken in December 2020.
• Memphis Meats – Now rebranded as UPSIDE Foods is a U.S. based start up produces cultured meat products in the form of meat balls, beef fajita, etc.
• Finless Foods – This Silicon Valley startup produces lab grown seafood, tuna being the major focus.
• BlueNalu – Developing cultured tuna balancing the ocean’s ecosystem.
• Shiok Meats – Their cellular technology produces best quality sea foods including shrimp, crab and lobster. Now they own Southeast Asia’s first cultivated red meat company, Gaia Foods.
• Bond Pet Food – U.S. based meat makers for the pets. (Miller 2020)
Conclusion
Lab grown meat is a promising technology and has the ability to revolutionize the meat industry. With increasing environmental issues and unpredictable climatic changes, sustainable alternatives to overcome these have become the need of the hour. Cultured meat is cruelty free and the nutritional profile can be made flexible according to human needs and are a healthier version of traditional farm raised meat. Despite having these advantages, the product fails to exhibit its true potential among the public, the major reason being lack of knowledge. Enlightening the public about the benefits of cultured meat and advanced marketing strategies may help the product achieve new heights. Thus, the invention of lab grown meat is a hope for mankind. However, there lies greater scope for research.
References:
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