The success of cultivated meat in the marketplace will depend on its ability to deliver a product that meets the nutritional standards and sensory experience of conventional meat while still maintaining the same price tag. This involves the production of a muscle tissue biomass consisting of both muscle and fat cells.

Muscle tissue production is critical in order to achieve not only the authentic mouthfeel, flavour and nutritional profile of cultivated meat, but also for its economic viability. . Tamar Eigler-Hirsh, co-founder and CTO of ProFuse Technology, delves into the science and solutions shaping this critical aspect of cultivated meat production.

Undifferentiated cells, although abundant and relatively easy to culture, do not possess the specialised structures found in muscle cells which contribute to texture and nutritional value that muscle tissue offers. Muscle tissue is inherently structured and organised, enabling it to provide the fibrous texture that consumers expect from meat. Undifferentiated cell biomass tends to be more gelatinous and lacks the fibrous quality that is crucial for the sensory experience of eating meat.

This textural difference can significantly impact consumer acceptance, as texture is one of the primary factors influencing meat preferences. Mature muscle fibres are loaded with an intracellular protein structure called the sarcomere. The sarcomere is the functional unit in muscle fibres that facilitates contractions. This protein network is a key source of the amino acids we expect to consume in meat. Moreover, the more mature and the better organised sarcomeric structure is the higher the water retention in the muscle fibres, therefore contributing to increased biomass as well.

Flavour development

Flavour is one of the most significant determinants of food choices, and muscle tissue plays a crucial role in flavour development. Muscle tissue contains myoglobin and other compounds that contribute to the characteristic taste of meat. Undifferentiated cells do not develop these flavour compounds, resulting in a product that may be nutritionally adequate but lacking in the sensory appeal that drives meat consumption.

Cultivating muscle tissue allows for the preservation and enhancement of these flavour profiles, making it more likely to resonate with consumers. The Maillard-Reaction, which occurs during cooking, is responsible for the distinctive flavours and aromas associated with grilled or roasted meats. Muscle cells contribute to the development of these flavours through their biochemical compositions and interactions with fats and other compounds.

The success of the cultivated meat industry hinges on its ability to not only replicate muscle tissue but also harness and enhance the flavour profiles that consumers are familiar with. This is a vital consideration for producers aiming to penetrate the market and establish a loyal customer base.

Cultivated meat producers who can successfully create muscle tissue with superior flavour and texture will have a competitive edge in a crowded market. The ability to differentiate products based on quality and sensory experience can command higher price points, translating into increased profitability. Furthermore, with growing consumer interest in health and wellness, cultivated meat that emphasises high protein content and nutritional value can tap into lucrative market segments.

To successfully produce muscle-based cultivated meat products at scale, it’s crucial to have a reliable and reproducible source of muscle progenitor cells with high proliferation and differentiation capabilities. Additionally, these cells must eliminate the need for repeated sampling from the animal source.

One approach is to differentiate embryonic or induced pluripotent stem cells, which have unlimited proliferation potential but high differentiation efficiency into skeletal muscle tissue at scale is difficult to achieve.

At ProFuse, we are developing a set of enabling technologies that while provide cultivated meat companies various tools to increase the efficiency of their muscle differentiation. We have developed a media supplement, ProFuse-S1 (figure 2) , that when applied to muscle progenitors significantly increases the efficiency and the speed at which mature muscle tissue can be produced.

Additionally, we have developed the first non-genetically modified, spontaneously immortalised bovine myoblast cell line, ProFuse-B8 (PF-B8), with extremely high proliferation and differentiation capabilities (figure 3) . ProFuse-B8 is easily adapted to various animal-component free media formulations and can successfully generate mature muscle tissue on various edible microcarriers and scaffolds (figure 3) .

The combination of the use of the ProFuse-B8 cell line and ProFuse-S1 differentiation media supplement provides cultivated meat producers an efficient system for the scale up of muscle tissue production.

Economic implications

The cultivation of muscle tissue also poses significant economic implications. The concept of biomass and protein quality plays a critical role in determining the efficiency and sustainability of cultivated meat production. To be economically viable, the production process must achieve high yields of muscle biomass with high protein quality while minimising costs related to inputs such as growth factors, media, and bioreactor operations or COGs (cost of goods).

In the cultivated meat industry, high COGS can be a significant barrier to entry and scaling. Muscle tissue is rich in protein, essential amino acids, vitamins, and minerals, all of which contribute to a balanced diet. High-quality protein sources are increasingly important in a world where dietary protein needs are rising, influenced by factors such as population growth and changing dietary trends.

By focusing on the production of muscle tissue, cultivated meat can provide a sustainable, high-protein alternative that meets the dietary requirements and cost targets. Recent publicised data by the Israeli cultivated meat company SuperMeat demonstrated that differentiation of chicken embryonic stem cells into muscle, which was boosted by the ProFuse-S1 media supplement, contributes to nearly double in the amount the total biomass. of the product and increases the total protein content by approximately 40-50%.

The importance of muscle differentiation plays a significant role in reducing COGS, as more biomass and protein is produced given a particular input in time and materials; SuperMeat reported that the higher percentage of differentiated cells in the final cultivated meat product reduces the over COGs (figure 5).

In summary, the generation of muscle tissue is essential for producing a meat product with the appropriate texture, flavour, nutritional profile and price point needed in order to make a product with the highest potential for consumer acceptance. At ProFuse Technology we are continuing to develop the tools needed to produce the most authentic and mature muscle tissue at scale, including improved differentiation enhancement media supplements and additional spontaneously immortalised myoblast cell lines of various species.

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