About this Research Topic

Background

Cultured meat, also known as lab-grown or in vitro meat, is a type of alternative meat produced by utilizing principles of cell biology, molecular biology, tissue engineering and bioprocessing techniques. Cultured meat is created by obtaining cells from an animal, such as a chicken, and culturing them in a laboratory environment to fabricate edible alternative meat products.

According to its promoters, the aim of cultured meat is to offer a sustainable alternative to meat, highlighting the negative impacts of traditional livestock farming. Controversies about the beneficial effects of these new products remain, however, and deserve to be investigated, as well as the nutritional value of cultured meat products.

While cultured meat is still in the early stages of development and not yet widely available to consumers worldwide, it has gained attention and investment from around the world. There are ongoing efforts to improve the technology and bring it to market.

However, major technical challenges associated with cultured meat research include development of novel cultured meat cell lines, edible scaffolds materials for growing cultured meat cells, bioprocess challenges, and end product development.

Despite cultured meat has been gaining traction in recent years, the market is still facing a challenge of neophobia, that is the fear of trying new products and it can have a significant impact on product allocation in the market. When it comes to cultured meat, neophobia can be a major obstacle to its adoption. Consumers may be hesitant to try something that is unfamiliar or perceived as artificial or unnatural. To overcome this fear, science must focus on creating positive associations with cultured meat and educating consumers about its benefits. Additionally, product allocation strategies should be adjusted to ensure that consumers are exposed to cultured meat in an effort to reduce their neophobia.

This Research Topic welcomes original research, reviews, perspectives relating, but not limited to, the aforementioned aspects of cultured meat research and also following key subtopics pertaining to cultured meat products:

1. Cell line developments challenges for cultured meat cell growth
• Characterization studies for novel cultured meat cell lines.
• Development of serum free media for cultured meat cell growth.
• Optimization of cell culture ingredients like nutrients, antibiotics, growth factors.
• Optimization of growth parameters like pH, temperature, oxygen, growing conditions and timings for cultured meat cell lines.
• Studies related to cultured meat cell line storage and cell banking facilities.

2. Scaffolding challenges for cultured meat cell growth
• Development and characterization of novel edible scaffold materials for cultured meat cell growth.
• Optimization of ingredients like nutrients, antibiotics, growth factors for cultured meat cell growth of scaffolding materials.
• Optimization of Growth parameters like pH, temperature, nutrient supply for cultured meat cell growth on edible scaffold materials.

3. Bioprocess challenges for growth of cultured meat cells
• Designing and optimization of novel bioreactors for growth of cultured meat cells
• Bioreactor studies for cultured meat cells related to optimization of growth ingredients like nutrients, antibiotics, growth factors, etc.
• Optimization of parameters like pH, temperature, oxygen, media for growth of cultured meat cells in bioreactors.
• Cultured meat cell harvesting and cultured meat product development.

4. Quality and safety of cultured meat
• Development of safe cultured meat products.
• Nutritional value of cultured meat products and strategies for improvement.

5. Cultured meat and markets
• Challenges in product allocation strategies.
• Cultured meat perception by consumers.

Keywords: Cultured Meat, Alternative Meat, Cell-Based Food, Alternative Protein, Cell Line Development, Media Formulation, Edible Scaffolds, Bioprocesses, Bioreactor, Food Sustainability, Food Security, Nutritional Value, Market, Consumers

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

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