Cow without the cow - the future of meat products
Written by Ilke Boran & Dr Rachel Shaw.
Food supply has always been a global problem; even before the turmoil of the last few years made everything a hundred times worse. With the world’s population projected to increase to 9.7 billion in 2050[1], there’s an expected corresponding increase of around 60% in global food demand[2]. If this happens, then there won’t just be a strain on existing agricultural goods and services; there’ll be a terrifying exacerbation of food poverty and the problems caused by unsustainable farming practices, such as meat production. As such, the foremost food issue on the mind of industry experts is this; with a growing population and a dwindling pool of resources, what solutions can we develop to sustainably feed the planet before it’s too late?
These are our options.
Cellular Agriculture Meats
Cellular agriculture (CellAg) is a novel process and has seen a recent rise in popularity, one largely attributable to increased concern regarding the unsustainability of traditional farming methods. CellAg has certainly come a long way from the taste testing of goldfish muscle cells in 2002[3]. Scientists can now extract animal cells from any livestock via a biopsy (a minor procedure whereby a small amount of tissue is taken from a cow, chick, pig or whatever the local delicacy is), then cultured up on an industrial scale into a quantity of cells that’s sufficient enough for commercial supply.
This is where the process gets tricky. The cells need to be grown on scaffolds in a way that emulates how meat usually grows in the species the cells originate from[4][5]. If this sounds like a lot of faff to eat beef without the cow, then it would be, if not for how it cuts out a lot of the greenhouse gas emissions cattle farming generates[6].
While the potential here is vast, there are still many challenges to be tackled before CellAg can go mainstream. From issues with cheaply sourcing feedstock for the cells, to the strict regulatory policies currently in place, alongside various requirements enforced by governments regarding the safety and reliability of these products, the CellAg market is facing many difficulties, and still has a long way to go. Fortunately for the startups battling these challenges, they have many backup markets to enter into (like therapeutics) should the food space prove too unfeasible. So even if CellAg meats don’t become a diet staple in your life, expect to see them making waves elsewhere with more high-value products.
Plant-based meats & proteins
Tofu. Quorn. Of all of the methods mentioned in this article, this is the one you’re most likely to have sampled. In fact, plant-based proteins are not only widely commercially available, but are even racing towards price parity with more traditionally farmed products.
Plant-based protein foods are made through the industrial-scale growing of plants like soybeans. The proteins of interest are then extracted and processed to make whatever style food is desired.
Ethical? Yes. Sustainable and environmentally friendly? Certainly more so than the traditional alternative, so what are the issues?
Price wise, there are some challenges. While the animals we rear consume plants, making plant-based proteins intrinsically cheaper, premium vegan brands require premium ingredients and extra processing to recreate the taste, texture and properties of animal proteins. This premium service results in an increased cost.
Precision Fermentation proteins
If you’ve ever homebrewed beer, then you’re already aware of how fermentation works. By inserting the DNA coding for the protein, microorganisms like baker’s yeast can be genetically modified to produce a protein of interest. The microorganism is then brewed and the protein is collected, purified and processed into the desired final product.
This method has been used in a variety of industries for years, and although there are still hurdles to overcome, such as low product yield, with each passing year, precision fermentation gets more precise, with scientists finding new ways to hack the microorganisms’ DNA and change the instructions, as well as reduce the costs of the purification and processing steps further down the line.
What makes precision fermentation particularly exciting is how it combines the advantages of CellAg and plant-based meats, creating proteins more ethically and sustainably than traditional methods. The ability to create a closed loop process where proteins are secreted means that costs can be slashed, and to add to this, because we can produce novel proteins through this process, never-before-seen proteins can be created, including those designed to be more nutritious and tasty than proteins currently available.
Making precision fermentation more precise is the goal of Eden Bio, and our method of achieving this is through combining biology with machine learning, which helps us figure out the best genetic solutions from the infinite possibilities caused by biology’s natural complexity. You can find out more about how we do this here.
Concluding thoughts
References
1. Colgrave ML, Dominik S, Tobin AB, Stockmann R, Simon C, Howitt CA, Belobrajdic DP, Paull C, Vanhercke T. Perspectives on future protein production. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 2021 Dec 9;69(50):15076-83.
2. Alexandratos N, Bruinsma J. World agriculture towards 2030/2050: the 2012 revision.
3.Fayaz Bhat Z, Fayaz H. Prospectus of cultured meat—advancing meat alternatives. Journal of Food Science and Technology. 2011 Apr; 48(2): 125–140.
4. Tso R, Lim AJ, Forde CG. A critical appraisal of the evidence supporting consumer motivations for alternative proteins. Foods. 2020 Dec 23;10(1):24.
5. Stephens N, Di Silvio L, Dunsford I, Ellis M, Glencross A, Sexton A. Bringing cultured meat to market: Technical, socio-political, and regulatory challenges in cellular agriculture. Trends in food science & technology. 2018 Aug 1;78:155-66.
6. Ellson A. Vegan foods are healthy (just not for your wallet). The Times. 2021 Feb 27.
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/vegan-foods-are-healthy-just-not-for-your-wallet-8jg23pb2k
7. Gorissen S H M, Crombag J J R, Senden J M G, Huub Waterval W A, Bierau J, Verdijk L B, Van Loon L J C. Protein content and amino acid composition of commercially available plant-based protein isolates. Amino Acids. 2018 Aug 30; 50, 1685–1695.
8. Morrison O. Salt content of plant-based meat products is unnecessarily high. Food Navigator. 2021 Nov 25.
