Cellular Agriculture

 

Balancing Sustainability and Cost Efficiencies in cultivated meat.

 

 

 

Meat consumption is increasing steadily, particularly in developing countries. Experts predict that relying solely on animal protein will not be sustainable enough to feed the growing global population, potentially leading to negative environmental consequences. Cultivated meat, or as it is also known, cultured meat, presents a promising alternative, providing the taste and texture of traditional meat without the same environmental impact. Cultivated meat is grown directly from cells in a sterile bioreactor, mimicking conventional meat at a molecular level without animal slaughter. This lab grown meat uses land efficiently, benefiting biodiversity and climate while avoiding fecal contamination and reducing antibiotic use.

 

More than 150 companies worldwide have started developing cultured meat in just a decade, including options like beef, pork, chicken and seafood. While only a few of these companies currently offer cultured meat products in the U.S. and Singapore, many more are anticipated to launch once they secure regulatory approval. Governments worldwide are investing in research and establishing clear regulatory pathways while achieving cost parity, which remains a key challenge for the industry.

The cultured meat process starts with an animal biopsy, followed by cell banking, growth, harvesting, and product formulation. Finding the right cell culture medium and bioreactors for large-scale production is a key challenge. Membranes are crucial for purifying sterile air, recycling used media, and separating harvested cells. A recent study published in Nature showed that crossflow technology with bioreactors could continuously purify and replenish growth media while removing impurities. Pall’s crossflow technology is renowned for its high performance and reliability in sensitive production processes.

The Vital Role of Filtration in Cultured Meat Production

 

Pall’s Membralox® crossflow filtration systems are fully enclosed and automated, which means they can be regularly cleaned and sanitized with minimal manpower. This design allows them to operate at appropriate temperatures, preventing any thermal denaturation of the product while enhancing separation performance. The modular design accommodates any feed flow rate, typically maintaining a constant throughput, and can function in full continuous mode (24/7) and sequencing batch processes. The membranes have a lifespan that extends over years of continuous operation, providing consistent separation performance and capacity.

 

Membralox® Ceramic membranes advantages in the production of alternative proteins include:

  

  • Short return on investment
  • Recovery/extraction and separation of the different types of proteins (albumins, globulins etc.)
  • High protein purity without denaturation while retaining functionality.
  • Low operational expenditures (OPEX) result from reduced energy, water, and carbon footprint usage. Membrane separation optimizes the drying process, leading to less water and energy consumption with shorter processing times.

Contact our experts to discuss your requirements for cultured meat filtration solutions.