Ingredients and Formulation of Cultivated Meat Products

The cultivated meat production chain has been developing in recent years. For consumers to adopt the consumption of meat products derived from cultivated meat, it is essential that they have similar sensory characteristics to meat products from animal production. The development of the cultivated meat production chain requires ingredients and additives to provide traditional characteristics while also meeting the criteria of sustainability and healthiness. This chapter explores the importance of ingredients and additives in formulating cultivated meat products that meet traditional meat standards for texture, flavor, and nutritional value. Ingredients and additives play a crucial role in creating cultivated meat products that resemble conventional meat. This includes proteins derived from meat, fats, and other plant components and agro-industrial by-products. The use of natural ingredients, such as antioxidants and preservatives from plants, as well as by-products, offers a healthier and more sustainable alternative than synthetic additives. Food safety, regulation, development of effective cell cultivation technologies, production of safe ingredients and additives, and consumer awareness about the benefits of this alternative are challenges in this production chain. Challenges that can be solved through collaboration between industries, research centers, and regulatory government entities. Cultivated meat represents an opportunity to address global challenges of food security, sustainability, and animal welfare.