Probiotic cultivated meat: bacterial-based scaffolds and products to improve cultivated meat

Biopreservation strategies using bacteriocins to control meat spoilage and foodborne outbreaks

Fresh meat is highly perishable, presenting challenges in spoilage mitigation and waste reduction globally. Despite the efforts, foodborne outbreaks from meat consumption persist. Biopreservation offers a natural solution to extend shelf life by managing microbial communities. However, challenges include the effective diffusion of bacteriocins through the meat matrix and the potential inhibition of starter cultures by bacteriocins targeting closely related lactic acid bacteria (LAB). LAB, predominant in meat, produce bacteriocins - small, stable peptides with broad antimicrobial properties effective across varying pH and temperature conditions. This review highlights the recent advances in the optimization of bacteriocin use, considering its structure and mode of action. Moreover, the strengths and weaknesses of different techniques for bacteriocin screening, including novel bioengineering methods, are described. Finally, we discuss the advantages and limitations of the modes of application of bacteriocins toward the preservation of fresh, cured, and novel meat products.

Challenges and opportunities in cell expansion for cultivated meat

The cultivation of meat using in vitro grown animal stem cells offers a promising solution to pressing global concerns around climate change, ethical considerations, and public health. However, cultivated meat introduces an unprecedented necessity: the generation of mass scales of cellular biomaterial, achieved by fostering cell proliferation within bioreactors. Existing methods for in vitro cell proliferation encounter substantial challenges in terms of both scalability and economic viability. Within this perspective, we discuss the current landscape of cell proliferation optimization, focusing on approaches pertinent to cellular agriculture. We examine the mechanisms governing proliferation rates, while also addressing intrinsic and conditional rate limitations. Furthermore, we expound upon prospective strategies that could lead to a significant enhancement of the overall scalability and cost-efficiency of the cell proliferation phase within the cultivated meat production process. By exploring knowledge from basic cell cycle studies, pathological contexts and tissue engineering, we may identify innovative solutions toward optimizing cell expansion.