Cultured meat platform developed through the structuring of edible microcarrier-derived microtissues with oleogel-based fat substitute
Feng-Chun Yen, Jovana Glušac, Shira Levi, Anton Zernov, Limor Baruch, Maya Davidovich‐Pinhas, Ayelet Fishman, Marcelle Machluf
Abstract
With the increasing global demand for meat, cultured meat technologies are emerging, offering more sustainable solutions that aim to evade a future shortage of meat. Here, we demonstrate a cultured meat platform composed of edible microcarriers and an oleogel-based fat substitute. Scalable expansion of bovine mesenchymal stem cells on edible chitosan-collagen microcarriers is optimized to generate cellularized microtissues. In parallel, an oleogel system incorporated with plant protein is developed as a fat substitute, which is comparable to beef fat in appearance and texture. Combining the cellularized microtissues with the developed fat substitute, two types of cultured meat prototypes are introduced: layered cultured meat and burger-like cultured meat. While the layered prototype benefits enhanced stiffness, the burger-like prototype has a marbling meat-like appearance and a softer texture. Overall, this platform and the established technological basis may contribute to the development of different cultured meat products and promote their commercial production.