HISTORY, PROSPECTS AND CHALLENGES OF LAB GROWN MEAT: A REVIEW

Abstract

Lab grown meat is meat produced by in vitro cultivation of animal cells, instead of from slaughtered animals. So-called “cultured” or “synthetic” or “in vitro”. Growing muscle tissue in culture from animal stem cells to produce meat. It is a form of cellular agriculture. It is being developed as a way of addressing many environmental and issues associated with conventional meat production. The technique to generate cultured muscle tissues from stem cells was described since 1932, however, it has not yet been developed for the commercial production of cultured meat products till late 2020 in Singapore. The technology is at an early stage and prerequisites of implementation include a reasonably high level of consumer acceptance, and the development of commercially-viable means of large scale production. Recent advancements in tissue culture techniques suggest that production may be economically feasible, provided it has physical properties in terms of colour, flavour, aroma, texture and palatability that are comparable to conventional meat. Although considerable progress has been made during recent years, important issues remain to be resolved, including the characterization of social and ethical constraints, the fine-tuning of culture conditions, and the development of culture media that are cost-effective and free of animal products. Consumer acceptance and confidence in in vitro produced cultured meat might be a significant impediment that hinders the marketing process.