Meat 3D Bio-Printing Technology to Revolutionize Food Industry as Mass Production Comes Within Reach
For decades, scientists, ethicists, and technologists have discussed the possibility of having cultivated meat, also known as lab-grown meat, among other names, as a mainstream replacement for traditionally-sourced meat. Proponents say cultivated meat is more ethical, as it does not involve the continued slaughter of animals, and the reduced carbon footprint is valuable in helping the world mitigate the effects of climate change. On the other hand, skeptics believe that such meat is “too artificial,” involving various chemicals and processes not found in nature. In contrast, others doubt the technology’s capability to produce at scale and achieve parity with traditional meat.
Ten years after the first lab-grown burger was eaten in London in 2013, there have been significant advances and challenges in cultivated meat technology. The growth media for the cells is one of the most expensive components of the process, responsible for between 55% and 95% of the costs. Companies are continuously researching ways to bring down the cost of the growth media, which will make cultivated meat more affordable and allow the industry to scale.
Another challenge is replicating the taste and texture of meat in the cultivated product. Because food is incredibly tied to sensation and enjoyment, cultivated meat must have a taste and texture identical to traditional meat for it to have hopes of becoming a genuine alternative and eventual replacement.
Outside of food production, 3D printing has become more popular as a manufacturing method due to its speed and ability to produce very complex shapes or geometries down to the micrometer. As meat comes from organisms with extremely complex structures, resulting in varied textures, one company is working on using 3D printing to recreate cuts of meat as close to nature as possible. Steakholder Foods, a Nasdaq-listed Israel-based deep-tech food company, is working on making 3D bioprinting a viable commercial production method, focusing on a business-to-business model to supply bio-printing equipment as well as the consumables, such as the “inks'' and animal cell biomass, to create 3D printed cultivated meat. Companies like this are targeting innovative large corporations, as well as governments who are looking to guarantee food security for their people, especially amid climate change.
Bio-printing has traditionally faced challenges in achieving specificity at scale and efficiency when working with hydrogels containing biological materials. To overcome these obstacles, companies have developed specialized print heads that enhance the fabrication of edible biostructures using drop-on-demand technology within bioprinting systems. This innovative approach allows for the extremely high precision deposition of cell patterns.
To be able to mimic the texture, taste, and appearance of traditional meat, bio-printing technology companies have developed specialized 3D printers. For example, one printer extrudes paste materials through a narrow nozzle, creating a texture that best simulates the fibers of beef and similar meats. Meanwhile, another printer deposits drops of gel-based materials to create a three-dimensional structure, which is ideal for recreating the flaky texture of fish and other seafood products. Both printers are available in two sizes: Lite, which produces small quantities for research and development use, and Pro, which is a fully automated large-scale production system that is able to produce tons per month.
At Steakholder Foods, their bio-ink is made of plant-based ingredients, serving as a platform for the cultivated animal cells, also known as biomass, in the printing process that in the first half of 2023, they worked with Singapore-based company Umami Meats to bio-print their first ready-to-cook cultivated grouper fish product. However, because cultivated meat cells are still expensive, most 3D-printed meat products are hybrid, with a high ratio of plant-based ink to cultivated biomass. This results in a comparable texture to traditional meat, but the taste is not yet 100% identical.
The client is able to control the ratio of ink to biomass, and they can even start out purely plant-based before adding the biomass in the second phase. However, as the cost of cultivated cells goes down, clients can add more biomass to the product, bringing the taste even closer to traditional meat.
In the future, meat 3D bio-technology printing companies will likely scale their cultivated beef products. More biomass types based on different animal species will also likely be introduced, providing consumers with increased variety. However, to achieve this, companies in this sector will have to continue to refine their 3D bio-printing technology to make it more efficient. While people who have tasted these products have reacted positively, getting the wider public to accept this type of meat is still an uphill battle, which is why instead of selling directly to consumers, many biotech companies look to partner with food manufacturers that believe in their vision and have the branding and marketing capabilities to bring hybrid and cultivated meat products to a larger market, eventually revolutionizing how food is produced.
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The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
