Bringing cultured meat to market: Technical, socio-political, and regulatory challenges in cellular agriculture

Stephens, Neil; Silvio, L. Di; Dunsford, Illtud; Ellis, Marianne; Glencross, Abigail; Sexton, Alexandra

doi:10.1016/j.tifs.2018.04.010

Cited by 515 publications

(501 citation statements)

References 93 publications

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“…Cultured cells have also greatly contributed to the advancement of basic academic science fields such as cell biology, biochemistry, genetics, physiology, and molecular biology . More recently, cultured muscle cells have been used as the cell source of “cultured meat.” The idea is to use cultured animal cells as a source of animal protein. Cultured meat is noted worldwide as “the third stage in meat production” after hunting and livestock farming.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Mammalian cell cultivation using nutrients extracted from microalgae

Okamoto

Haraguchi

Sawamura

et al. 2019

Biotechnology Progress

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Mammalian cells have been used in various research fields. More recently, cultured cells have been used as the cell source of “cultured meat.” Cell cultivation requires media containing nutrients, of which glucose and amino acids are the essential ones. These nutrients are generally derived from grains or heterotrophic microorganisms, which also require various nutrients derived from grains. Grain culture, in turn, requires many chemical fertilizers and agrochemicals, which can cause greenhouse gas emission and environmental contamination. Furthermore, grain production is greatly influenced by environmental changes. In contrast, microalgae efficiently synthesize various nutrients using solar energy, water, and inorganic substances, which are widely used in the energy sector. In this study, we aimed to apply nutrients extracted from microalgae in the culture media for mammalian cell cultivation. Glucose was efficiently extracted from Chlorococcum littorale or Arthrospira platensis using sulfuric acid, whereas 18 of the 20 proteinogenic amino acids were efficiently extracted from Chlorella vulgaris using hydrochloric acid. We further investigated whether nutrients present in the algal extracts could be used in mammalian cell cultivation. Although almost all C2C12 mouse myoblasts died during cultivation in a glucose‐ and amino acid‐free medium, the cell death was rescued by adding algal extract(s) into the nutrient‐deficient media. This indicates that nutrients present in algal extracts can be used for mammalian cell cultivation. This study is the first step toward the establishment of a new cell culture system that can reduce environmental loads and remain unaffected by the impact of environmental changes.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…6 More recently, cultured muscle cells have been used as the cell source of "cultured meat." [7][8][9][10] The idea is to use cultured animal cells as a source of animal protein. Cultured meat is noted worldwide as "the third stage in meat production" after hunting and livestock farming.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mammalian cell cultivation using nutrients extracted from microalgae

Okamoto

Haraguchi

Sawamura

et al. 2019

Biotechnology Progress

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“…html). 8 For discussion on the "post-animal" approach, including the idea of a "post-animal bioeconomy," see http://www.new-harvest.org/about 9 There is still uncertainty concerning the feasibility of removing all animal inputs from certain AP methods (e.g., finding a cost-and performance-effective replacement for foetal-bovine serum in cultured meat production; see Stephens et al, 2018). Also, a degree of ambiguity remains regarding the value and sentience of insect life and the ethical soundness of replacing the slaughter of certain animals with that of others.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Eating for the post‐Anthropocene: Alternative proteins and the biopolitics of edibility

Sexton

2018

Trans Inst British Geog

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This paper explores the status and formation of edibility as a new site of food biopolitics. It builds directly on recent debates in geography that have examined the biopolitical mechanisms by which consumers are responsibilised to become “good” eaters. To date, these literatures have largely focused on already‐familiar food products. In contrast, this paper examines the biopolitics of novel foods – specifically, a range of new alternative proteins (APs), including cellular agriculture, edible insects and plant‐based proteins. Through their use of (bio)technology, APs claim to overcome the environmental and ethical crises that increasingly define the current livestock industry, and indeed our current epoch, now commonly referred to as the Anthropocene. They consequently offer individuals the choice of consuming their way to a more stable and ethical post‐Anthropocene. Critical to consumer adoption, however, is public acceptance of APs as “food.” Given that their raw materials and production methods are unfamiliar to many consumers’ food practices, there is much work to be done by AP developers to convince people that their products are indeed edible. It is in this process of edibility formation that I identify new biopolitical potentialities – what I refer to as the biopolitics of edibility. Drawing on recent critical geography literatures that have examined how “things become food” (Roe, ), the paper identifies two distinct yet co‐productive ways in which AP developers are conducting this transition from inedible to edible: first, through material interventions on the molecular, physical and visceral characteristics of APs; and second, through discursive interventions that work to normalise APs through textual and visual language. It concludes by reflecting on the biopolitical implications of these processes and how the edibility formation of APs is both entangled and implicit in current politics around “good” eating and the individualised project of realising the post‐Anthropocene.

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“…Due to the rise in demand for protein analogs, cultured meat sales may increase in the near future (34). Indeed, some researchers consider this new meat as a vegetarian productgood news for the expanding number of consumers who are incorporating more vegetarian and vegan choices into their diets (40,41).…”

Section: Marketmentioning

confidence: 99%