Work

Opportunities and challenges ahead of the cultured meat: A review on key technology and mass production process

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: • Integration and future directions of technologies required for mass production of cultured meat. • Expanding the possibility of chemically pluripotent stem cells for cultured meat seed cell banks. • The establishment of the current low-cost serum-free cell culture technology system and the precise regulation technology and rational amplification of the magnitude in large-scale cell culture. • Cost breakdown of key stages in large-scale cultured meat production and current commercial development status. In summary, this review provides a comprehensive guide and valuable insights for researchers and companies in the field of the future of cultured meat mass production. Cultured meat offers an efficient, safe, and sustainable solution for the supply of animal protein; however, due to the lack of systematic research and the integration of mass production technology, no products are currently available on the market on a large scale. This review summarizes key factors for mass cultured meat production and discusses opportunities, challenges, and future directions of key technologies: Constructing a cultured meat seed cell repository to support basic research and application of cultured meat; establishment of a low-cost serum-free cell culture technology system and updates on edible biomaterial scaffold in order to reduce the cost of cultured meat; development of a large-scale bioreactor for cultured meat, realizing precise regulation of key culture parameters and rational amplification of large-scale cell culture, and food processing techniques were the foundation for realizing product iterative upgrades and market acceptance. In summary, this review offers insights into cultured meat production. Schematic diagram of the general process of cultured meat production and traditional animal husbandry. A. Seed cells for cultured meat. In this step, cells were isolated from different sources, including chicken, cow, porcine, ovine or fish. B. Large-scale cell expansion. In this step, cells were expanded through different methods. C. Tissue maturation. In this step, cells undergo maturation and differentiation on scaffolds. D. Processing into food products. The last step the matured tissue was converted into final product.

Source: Journal of Future Foods

DOI: 10.1016/j.jfutfo.2025.10.007