Cell-Based Meat Safety and Regulatory Approaches: A Comprehensive Review

Cell-based meat (CBM) technology is a highly promising alternative to traditional animal agriculture, with considerable advantages in terms of sustainability, animal welfare, and food security. Nonetheless, CBM’s successful commercialization is dependent on efficiently dealing with several critical concerns, including ensuring biological, chemical, and nutritional safety as well as navigating the global regulatory framework. To ensure CBM’s biological safety, detecting and mitigating any potential hazards introduced during the manufacturing process is crucial. Concerns include microbial contamination, the utilization of animal-derived growth media, and the risk of viral or prion infection. Similarly, chemical hazards include residues from growth media, scaffolding materials, and other bioprocessing agents. For consumer acceptance, CBM’s nutritional qualities should be comparable to those of conventional meat, indicating adequate protein content, essential amino acids, vitamins, and minerals. Additionally, CBM’s safety in terms of allergenicity and the presence of anti-nutritional factors must be rigorously assessed. Advances in cell culture techniques and biomanufacturing methods are requisite to achieving high-quality CBM with desirable nutritional attributes. The regulatory framework for CBM is actively expanding, with significant regional variations. Singapore is currently the only country that has received approval for the market placement of CBM, although the United States has developed a regulatory structure involving the United States Department of Agriculture and Food and Drug Administration. As CBM holds great potential as a sustainable and ethical alternative to conventional meat, addressing challenges related to biological and chemical safety, nutritional quality, and regulatory approval is essential for its successful market integration.