Enhancing the palatability of cultivated meat

Ella G Lambert; Christopher J O'Keeffe; Alexander O Ward; Tim A Anderson; Queenie Yip; Peter L H Newman

doi:10.1016/j.tibtech.2024.02.014

Enhancing the palatability of cultivated meat

Trends Biotechnol. 2024 Mar 26:S0167-7799(24)00062-3. doi: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2024.02.014. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Ella G Lambert¹, Christopher J O'Keeffe², Alexander O Ward³, Tim A Anderson⁴, Queenie Yip⁴, Peter L H Newman⁵

Affiliations

¹ School of Biomedical Engineering, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2008, Australia; School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of New South Wales Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
² Vow Group Pty Ltd., Sydney, NSW 2015, Australia; SmartMCs, Sydney, NSW 2007, Australia.
³ Vow Group Pty Ltd., Sydney, NSW 2015, Australia; Centre for BioInnovation, University of the Sunshine Coast, Sippy Downs, QLD 4556, Australia; ARTA Bioanalytics, Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia.
⁴ School of Biomedical Engineering, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2008, Australia.
⁵ School of Biomedical Engineering, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2008, Australia; EMBL Australia, Single Molecule Science Node, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of New South Wales Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia. Electronic address: peter.newman1@unsw.edu.au.

PMID: 38531694
DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2024.02.014

Abstract

Cultivated meat (CM) has transitioned from a futuristic concept to a present reality, with select products approved for consumption and sale in Singapore, Israel, and the USA. This evolution has emphasized scalable, cost-effective, and sustainable production, as well as navigation of regulatory pathways. As CM develops, a crucial challenge lies in delivering products that are highly appealing to consumers. Central to this will be refining CM palatability, a term encompassing food's taste, aroma, texture, tenderness, juiciness, and color. We explore the scientific and engineering approaches to producing palatable CM, including cell-line selection, cell differentiation, and post-processing techniques. This includes a discussion of the structural and compositional properties of meat that are intrinsically coupled to palatability.

Keywords: cellular agriculture; consumer appeal; cultivated meat; food science; palatability.

Publication types

Review