EIT Food, an EU co-funded investor, has granted €1.8 million to support cultivated meat researchers in tackling the barriers to commercialization. The funding aims to reduce the production costs of cultivated meat, making it more accessible to the general public.
The focus of the research will be on lowering the cost of cell culture media, a key obstacle in bringing cultivated meat to the market. Cell culture media, which provides essential nutrients for cell growth, is currently the most expensive component in the production process.
To address this challenge, the companies receiving the funding will utilize “food grade” media instead of pharmaceutical-grade media. This shift is expected to significantly decrease costs and energy consumption, enabling cultivated meat companies to achieve higher yields at a lower expense.
The allocation of funds followed a competition called the Cultivated Meat Innovation Challenge in 2022, organized by the non-profit Good Food Institute (GFI) Europe.
The funding will be distributed among three companies: LenioBio from Germany, BioBetter from Israel, and 3D Bio-Tissues Ltd from the UK.
LenioBio, originally established to produce proteins in response to the west African Ebola outbreak, utilizes technology that can rapidly generate proteins from plant cells. It plans to create a spin-off company to scale and distribute its products, as it can produce any cultivated meat within 48 hours worldwide, without the need for advanced cell engineering expertise.
BioBetter employs technology that trains tobacco plants to produce growth factor cells. Using an eco-friendly bioreactor, the company can extract protein from the plants, allowing for multiple harvests throughout the year.
3D Bio-Tissues Ltd, a spin-off from Newcastle University, is known for producing human corneas for eye transplants. Its technology, derived from agroforestry byproducts, utilizes a process called “tissue templating.” The company aims to upscale production and offer a cheaper cell culture media solution using food-grade ingredients. This ready-to-use and recyclable product will be available for sale to cultivated meat companies.
Dr. Adam M. Adamek, Director of Innovation at EIT Food, expressed excitement about the funding, emphasizing its potential to break down the barrier of expensive cell-culture media. Seren Kell, Senior Science and Technology Manager at the Good Food Institute Europe, echoed these sentiments, highlighting the impact that these innovations could have on scaling up production and building a more sustainable food system.
With the possibility of bringing these transformative ideas to the market within the next two years, the cultivated meat industry is on the cusp of a significant breakthrough. The reduction in costs through technological advancements will not only drive down prices but also enhance the viability of sustainable meat production.