From animal cell to sausage. How cellular meat is made?

First in the European Union and sixth in the world – such places are occupied by Poland in the production of white meat. However, experts agree that in the face of technological, climate or food changes, we will see a real transformation of new protein alternatives. Are Poles ready for cellular meat and when can we expect it on store shelves? Among other things, the creators of the Food and Design project asked these questions to experts related to the topic of meat of the future.

How cell-based meat is produced?

Raising cattle, poultry or pigs is not only a huge expense and a big environmental intervention, but also a long process. All these problems are answered by cellular meat, which, although still expensive today and completely inaccessible in many countries, should become a targeted alternative to humanity.

The production of cellular meat begins with a biopsy, that is, taking animal cells. Then they are sorted, tested, set up cell lines where they grow and get a nutrient medium. In this process, the idea is to create conditions for the cells similar to the animal's body. The next step is to scale up production in bioreactors, i.e. devices where cells grow. Although the further process is quite complex, the final result is a material that may resemble minced meat. In the technological process, they can be molded arbitrarily, for example, for a burger or nuggets - Wiesław Macherzyński comments, COO LabFarm. 

How long will the cultivation of cellular meat continue in Poland? The goal of the experts is reduce the time to eight days – from the start of breeding to the final product, such as sausages. The vision of the future is to create such conditions in households that in a few years Poles will have their own bioreactors in which they can grow meat on their own. It is interesting that producers are striving to ensure that the meat of the future is changed in accordance with the expectations and needs of consumers: you can change the taste and nutritional value of this meat, as well as influence its addition in accordance with the trends and needs of consumers, that is, create, for example, meat. cholesterol-free meat Marcin Tischner added., Corporate Engagement & Sustainability Specialist, ProVeg Polska.

Trump Card nomenclature

Not only education, but also naming can be a key role in persuading Poles to try the meat of the future. What terms are used today? As Marcin Tischner pointed out, there are many terms, but some of them have negative connotations that can strongly discourage consumers from accessing these products. Among the terms used, you can find: clean meat, artificial meat, cell-based meat, synthetic meat, lab-grown meat, cultured meat, in-vitro meat, cultivated meat.

English-language terms that are not fully understood by the Polish consumer, of course, need alternative (nomen omen) phrases. According to a ProVeg Poland representative clean in relation to cellular meat, it is assumed that traditional meat is not pure. This may cause hostility among meat processing plants, which should become an ally of this technology. The best English-language version, according to ProVeg, is currently available cultivated meat (English cultured / cultured meat), and a local study would be useful for choosing a Polish term.

source: antoninavlasova

Cell culture in the light of the law

On the question of whether there is a real chance of importing cellular meat to Poland, Agnieszka Szymecka-Wesołowska, a lawyer at the Center for Food and Grocery Law (FOODLAW), said yes without hesitation.

There is a procedural path for this, which will probably soon become a " highway». And the point is not "if" we will introduce cellular meat, but "when" it will appear on our plates. The introduction of products that were not consumed before 1997 into the European Union requires approval, i.e. application and confirmation of the safety of these products. Today there is a kind of race, because the first applicant will have the opportunity to apply for scientific data and bring these products to the market exclusively. So, who is the first best in Europe? - adds an expert advisor.

According to Agnieszka Szymecka-Wesołowska, everything from a legal point of view is divided into two things – safety and labeling products. The European Union clearly defines the conditions and requirements for labeling new products.

On our continent, the topic of cellular meat has not yet been agreed and unified, so, for example, in Italy there was an idea to ban the production and sale of cellular meat, and in the Netherlands today it can be freely tasted. Issuing the first permit at the level of the European Union, which implies the free movement of goods between member states, will greatly facilitate the popularization of meat in more conservative countries, although, as Agnieszka Szymecka-Veselowska emphasizes, this will apply to countries that will be open to such innovations.

Source: shutterstock

The future of the meat industry is not so clear

The current situation in Poland in the context of meat consumption is quite specific – 30% of Poles declare and restrict meat consumption, more than 60% say they do not intend to do so, and more than 50% have never tried plant-based meat substitutes. On the other hand, most of us enjoy the novelty and look forward to new alternatives to traditional meat. As he commented during the 4. Food Working series by Marcin Tischner:

The plant-based industry has made tremendous progress in recent years, and although lower-quality products (as with meat products) are still found, the plant world has obviously caught up. Consumers not only admire the fact that this product is vegetable, but also look for additional qualities in the product-taste, consistency, frying method, smell, price. And the price of plant-based alternatives isn't growing as fast as traditional meat, so this discrepancy is decreasing.

According to the ProVeg representative, there is a good chance that cellular meat will end up on Polish store shelves, although he is concerned about slow legislation. You can say that Singapore was easier, or perhaps it simply did not have a choice, so it introduced cellular meat into circulation. How did this happen? Before the pandemic, Singapore's meat was imported from Malaysia. During the pandemic, supplies were stopped, so ... they started producing meat in their own country - Wiesław Macherzyński comments. Although there was no such situation in Poland, LabFarm does not stop working on the creation of cellular meat, as well as a possible reduction in its price. The expert also emphasizes that by analyzing the potential in the production of traditional meat by Poles, our country has a chance to become a European center in the field of cellular meat. Today for a kilogram of such a product, we will pay about $ 26of which 60-80% is the cost of so-called nutrients. The market, controlled by several companies, does not yet allow to sharply reduce these prices, but the manufacturer is positive about the future: I can imagine this day when we go to KFC, we will have a choice of traditional and alternative meat, and after trying both, we will not feel the difference - added Wiesław Macherzyński.

Which way will the Poles go? In the direction of conservative Italians or open to innovation in Western countries such as the United States, Great Britain, Canada, as well as South Korea, Israel or Australia? We will definitely find out about this in the coming years.