Chapter 5 - What should the properties of cultivated meat be?
Résumé
This chapter explores the safety, nutritional value, and sensory quality of cultivated meat (CM) and evaluates both the potential and limitations of this technology. Given the complexity of the biological process, there is little possibility of producing muscle fibers with an appearance, composition, and structure close to those observed in vivo . Further studies are needed to assess the potential beneficial effects of micronutrients provided by cultivated cells. As the properties of micronutrients vary according to the support matrix used for CM growth, the health benefits of these compounds will also vary. Digestibility of nutrients from CM also needs to be studied.
Proponents of CM claim that CM will be safer for consumption than traditionally sourced meat. However, as with any new technology, there is no such thing as zero-risk innovation, as consequences and risks are not fully predictable. Although most CM manufacturers have now abandoned the use of both, proof of concept for CM was achieved using antibiotics prophylactically in processing and using fetal bovine serum (FBS) for cell growth. Further scientific research is essential before CM can represent an alternative source of animal proteins.