Designing cultivated meat: Overcoming challenges in the production process and developing sustainable packaging solutions

Abstract

Background

The commercialization of cultivated meat offers a promising avenue for sustainable food production. However, there is an urge to develop products with high marketability that could ensure food safety and quality, as well as desirable shelf-life and environmental friendliness. The current limitations in packaging/labeling approaches and the production process of cultivated meat have resulted in quality disparities, necessitating overviewing and analyzing the research in this area to match the physical attributes, nutritional content, and sensory properties of cultivated meat with conventional meat.

Scope and approach

This study aims to analyze the current limitations of cultivated meat and provide recommendations that serve as guidelines for enhancing its quality. Additionally, the considerations for developing environmentally friendly and sustainable packaging that ensures the safety and quality of cultivated meat have been outlined along with future research directions.

Key findings and conclusion

Numerous parameters, including stem cells, appropriate scaffold materials, increased muscle tissue cells with actomyosin, and genetic modification, must be considered during the production process to enhance cultivated meat quality. Also, modifying packaging materials with emerging technologies and using by-products or bio-based materials could create sustainable packaging for cultivated meat. Lastly, transparency in labeling is vital in reducing the risk of food neophobia associated with cultivated meat.