Scaling-Up of Cultivated Meat Production Process

Upscaling the production of cultured meat from laboratory flasks to an industrial scale is undeniably a great challenge, yet it is imperative for the process to achieve economic viability and commercial potential. The transition to a large-scale operation introduces a myriad of concerns spanning various themes, including the supply and storage of raw materials (cultivation media components, cells, high-quality water, microcarriers, and scaffolds) and the cell cultivation process itself (bioreactor design, mode of operation, sterilization, monitoring, and control tools), as well as downstream processes and final product development (formulation, stability, packaging, and reproducibility). The shift from a small-scale cell cultivation flask to large-scale bioreactors introduces several novel parameters that must be taken into account, such as gas exchange, shear stress, heat and mass transfers, mixing, and foaming. Expanding volumes while preserving cell productivity requires optimization across various parameters during the scale-up process, along with the identification of key parameters to be maintained constant throughout. This chapter also explores considerations on the sustainability of scaling-up cultured meat production, as well as economic aspects of the upscaled process and future developments crucial for achieving cost-effectiveness. These considerations are pivotal for extending cultured meat production beyond laboratory and pilot scales.