CELL BASED MEAT

What is cell-based meat?

Cell-based meat is a type of meat created by culturing animal cells directly,

without the need to raise and slaughter animals by taking a small sample of
cells from a living animal, providing them with a nutrient-rich medium in a
bioreactor, and allowing them to proliferate and differentiate into muscle and
fat tissue.

Intention of Cell-Based Meat

The primary intention behind the development of cell-based meat is to

address several significant challenges associated with most animal
‘processing’ (for lack of a better word).

 Environmental Impact.
 Animal Welfare.
 Food Safety and Public Health.

Current Stage of Development and Usage Worldwide

Cell-based meat is currently in its early stages of commercialization,

although significant progress has been made, and numerous companies and
research institutions (such as MOSA Meat) worldwide are actively involved in
advancing the science and technology behind cultivated meat. Australia is
one of the countries that have legalized cultivated meat, but many others
have not, some, like Italy, have banned it to protect their farming industry,
and others have done it for concerns over health and safety.

Production of Cell-Based Meat

Cell-based meat production leverages principles of tissue engineering and

cell biology. The process begins with obtaining a small sample of cells from a
living animal. These cells are typically muscle stem cells, and once collected,
these cells are isolated and stored in a "cell bank." For production, a small
number of these cells are introduced into a bioreactor (a controlled
environment mimicking the conditions inside an animal's body). The
materials required for cell growth primarily consist of a cell culture medium,
a liquid rich in:

 Nutrients: Sugars, amino acids, and vitamins for energy and building
blocks.
 Salts: Essential minerals for cell function. taper
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 Growth Factors: Proteins and hormones that tell cells to divide and
differentiate into muscle and fat tissue.
 Scaffolding: For creating structured meat products (e.g., steaks),
edible scaffolding materials are used to provide a physical structure for
cells to attach to and grow into tissues.

As cells multiply in the bioreactor, they are gradually transferred to larger

bioreactors to achieve scale. Once the cells reach optimal density and have
differentiated into the desired muscle and fat cells, they are harvested. The
harvested cellular material then undergoes food processing. The entire
production cycle can take several weeks, depending on the desired product
and scale.

Comparison to Normal Meat

 Taste, Texture, and Appearance: The main goal of lab-based meat

is to replicate the sensory attributes of conventional meat.
 Nutritional Content: In principle, cell-based meat can have a similar
nutritional profile to conventional meat, providing high-quality protein,
vitamins, and minerals. However, manufacturers can fortify cultivated
meat with beneficial nutrients or reduce undesirable components.
 Contamination: This is a key advantage for cell-based meat.
Produced in sterile, controlled environments, it significantly reduces
the risk of contamination by foodborne pathogens, which are common
in conventionally farmed meat.
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Discussion:

Influencing Factors

Scientists are focusing on the development of cell-based meat due to

two major influencing factors: the environmental problem of traditional
animal agriculture and ethical concerns about animal welfare.

 The environmental impact of conventional meat production.

Livestock farming is a significant contributor to climate change,
deforestation, and water pollution. For instance, the Food and
Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations estimated that
livestock production accounts for approximately 14.5% of global
greenhouse gas emissions, including potent gases like methane and
nitrous oxide (FAO, 2013). More recent estimates indicate this figure
could range from 12% to 17% (The Breakthrough Institute, 2023).
This massive carbon footprint stems from cow burps/farts, manure
management, and deforestation for pastures and crops.

 Ethical considerations surrounding animal welfare.

Factory/industrial farming practices often subject animals to
extreme confinement, painful mutilations without anesthesia, and
unnatural living conditions that prevent the expression of natural
behaviors (World Animal Protection, n.d.; Animal Welfare Institute,
n.d.). For example, practices like the use of gestation crates for
pigs, cramped cages for laying hens, and forced rapid growth rates
in broiler chickens lead to severe stress, injuries, and a diminished
quality of life for billions of animals globally each year (University of
Oxford, 2017). Cell-based meat is a way to produce animal protein
without the need for animal slaughter, addressing these profound
ethical concerns directly. By cultivating meat from a small cell
sample, the suffering in large-scale animal agriculture can be
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largely eliminated, aligning with growing demand for more humane
food systems (FOUR PAWS, n.d.).

Limitations

Despite its significant potential, cell-based meat faces several limitations

that stop its widespread viability. These problems are primarily related to
production cost and scalability, consumer acceptance, and regulatory
complexities.

 High production cost.

While the cost of producing cell-based meat has dramatically

decreased since the first lab-grown burger in 2013 (which cost
$500,000 AUD), it is still substantially more expensive than
conventional meat. For example, a 2021 analysis estimated that lab-
grown meat would cost AUD $26 to $35 per pound to produce,
compared to traditional ground beef costing around $8 per pound
(Food Manufacturing, 2023). This is usually due to the scaling problem,
as it was originally developed where quantities are small and value is
high (IDTechEx, 2023). Scaling up production from lab to industrial
bioreactors (tens of thousands of liters) also presents significant
technical challenges, as existing methods for cell proliferation are not
optimized for large-scale biomass generation (Frontiers in Nutrition,
2024).

 Consumer acceptance.
Despite the environmental and ethical benefits, many consumers
express skepticism or even aversion to cell-based meat due to its
"unnaturalness" or its “yuck factor” (Sentient Media, 2023). Research
indicates that while some consumers are willing to try cultivated meat,
concerns about safety, and the impact on farmers are prevalent (Food
Standards Agency, 2025). The terminology used (e.g., "lab-grown"
versus "cultivated") also influences perception, with "lab-grown" often
leading to lower safety perceptions (Food Standards Agency, 2025).

 Regulatory Problems.

While Singapore and the United States have approved specific

cultivated meat products, many other countries, including the
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European Union, are still in early stages of developing regulatory
frameworks. This lack of harmonized global regulations creates
uncertainty for companies seeking to commercialize their products
internationally (IDTechEx, 2023). Furthermore, debates surrounding
appropriate labeling (e.g., whether it can be called "meat") are
ongoing, which can impact consumer perception and market access.

Conclusion

Given the current trajectory and advancements, I believe cell-based meat

will become a part of our diet within the next few decades.

Why? Because the environmental benefits will drive its use. Cell-based meat
significantly reduces land and water usage, and lower greenhouse gas
emissions compared to traditional agriculture (as highlighted by FAO and
Breakthrough Institute figures), make it a vital solution for sustainable
protein production

Bibliography

 Pointing, C. (2025). Places That Have Approved Or Banned Cultivated Meat. [online] The
Takeout. Available at: [Link]
cultivated-meat/.

 Swartz, E. and Bomkamp, C. (2022). The Science of Cultivated Meat. [online] The Good
Food Institute. Available at: [Link]

 Wood, P., Lieven Thorrez, Jean-François Hocquette, Troy, D. and Gagaoua, M. (2023).
‘Cellular agriculture’: current gaps between facts and claims regarding ‘cell-based meat’.
Animal Frontiers, 13(2), pp.68–74. doi:[Link]