Addressing the rising global meat demand while protecting the environment: developing Europe’s first competitive “cell-based meat” product

Project Information

SUSTAINABLEMEAT

Grant agreement ID: 889358

DOI

10.3030/889358

Project closed

EC signature date 19 November 2019

Start date 1 December 2019

End date 31 July 2020

Funded under

• INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Innovation In SMEs

Total cost

€ 71 429,00

EU contribution

€ 50 000,00

Coordinated by

SUPREME
France

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - SUSTAINABLEMEAT (Addressing the rising global meat demand while protecting the environment: developing Europe’s first competitive “cell-based meat” product)

Reporting period: 2019-12-01 to 2020-07-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

In the next 30 years, global meat demand will increase by 73% . Since the dawn of the agricultural revolution, new technologies have enabled us to feed a growing population in increasingly efficient ways. Today, we’re facing a challenge of an unprecedented scale: how to feed 9.8 billion by 2050 while simultaneously managing the effects of climate change. One of the most promising technologies to help face this challenge is cell-based meat.

By growing meat from cells instead of from a whole animal, it becomes possible to create high- quality cuts of meat using fewer resources and with less environmental impact. Compared to conventional meat, cell-based meat is estimated to reduce land use by up to 95%, greenhouse gas emissions by 74% to 87%, and nutrient pollution by 94% . Since cell-based meat is grown in a clean facility, it also reduces the risk of contamination by harmful pathogens and eliminates the need for antibiotics, thereby reducing the serious public health threats posed by foodborne illness and antibiotic resistance.

The aim of our Phase 1 project is to de-risk core aspects of our technology, namely taste and cost-reduction. By generating a duck liver cell line, we will be able to assess and iterate organoleptic properties (flavours, texture, appearance) of our cell-based foie gras, eventually leading to a first prototype. We will also carry out a detailed IP landscape study on one aspect of our technology that is critical for cost reduction.

Producing foie gras is just a first step towards providing a range of cell-based meat alternatives and making European meat consumption habits sustainable.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

Objective 1: Work with primary duck hepatocytes

We ran several assays in order to immortalize primary duck hepatocytes. To do so, we bought commercially available primary duck hepatocytes, as well as all the dedicated media for their thawing and subsequent culture. Even though the first experiment led to interesting results, we decided to fully outsource the realization of this immortalization to a company dedicated to this purpose.

Objective 2: Replicating the effect of force-feeding that the cell level

To save time while attempting to immortalize duck hepatocytes, we decided to iterate on 3D amplification by using a well-known immortalized hepatocytes cell line. Using specific 3D culture flasks, we were able to demonstrate a 4-fold increase in cell density. We are now setting the right parameters for passaging to scale up the culture volume.

Objective 3: Are we able to find a set of parameters allowing the resulting cells to look and taste like conventional foie gras?

Again, to maximise productivity while attempting to immortalize duck hepatocytes, we decided to iterate with other cell types to define the best parameters to develop product texture and taste.

Regarding texture, we developed our product in two ways. Firstly, we identified the fatty acids needed to emulate the hardness and cooking performance of foie gras according to the literature. Through many iterations of plant sources of these fatty acids combined with cells, we confirmed the most successful combination required to mimic the fat of conventional foie gras.

Regarding flavour, we used analytical chemistry and culinary work to develop a characteristic foie gras flavour and aroma. Food flavour is a combination of hundreds of volatile compounds that are detected in the nose, throat and mouth while eating. We assessed the compounds of conventional foie gras using gas chromatography analysis through a collaboration. This allows us to identify the key precursors needed in our cells to provide exact foie gras flavour and aroma.

Objective 4: Patent feasibility study:

With the support of the SME Instrument, we were able to carry out a patent feasibility study which validated Freedom To Operate was confirmed for our company: no granted patent is currently blocking the development of our company.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

"Over the time of the grant period, we have confirmed the market potential of a cultured foie gras as our first launched product and further refined our secondary and third target markets. As shared in our dossier, seventeen countries have banned foie gras production for ethical reasons (India and even the State of California in the United States have even banned imports and sales): our cruelty-free version could also very well target these ""dormant"" markets. During the grant period, in October 2019, the city of New York also decided to ban foie gras for ethical reasons. Its consumption will be illegal from 2022, forcing more than 1000 restaurants to find an alternative and reinforcing the relevance of our solution.

On the business opportunity beyond cultured foie gras : the €120bn meat alternatives market:

During the grant period, we further confirmed that working on foie gras is paving the way for the launch of other sustainable poultry and meat products. Beyond foie gras, the cultured fat we are producing with liver cells can be used in other preparations to provide true meat flavor (which can not be achieved with plant fats), and a seamless texture between both cell and plant-based ingredients to form sustainable ‘hybrid’ meat analogs.

We are currently preparing our application for the Accelerator instrument to accelerate towards commercialization."

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