August 22, 2024 — A groundbreaking continuous manufacturing method for producing cultivated meat could significantly reduce the cost and complexity of production and increase consumer affordability, according to a new study by researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
The study, published in Nature Food, Professor Yaakov Nahmias, founder of Believer Meats and founding director of the Hebrew University Alexander Grass Center for Bioengineering, highlights the use of tangential flow filtration (TFF) for the continuous manufacturing of cultivated meat. The new bioreactor assembly permits biomass expansion to 130 billion cells per liter, achieving yields of 43% weight per volume. The process was carried out continuously over 20 days, enabling daily biomass harvests.
Utilizing this empirical data, the team conducted a techno-economic analysis of a hypothetical 50,000-liter (13,208-gallon) production facility. The analysis indicates that the cost of production of cultivated chicken could theoretically be reduced to $6.20 per pound, approximately the price of USDA organic chicken.
Additionally, the research introduces an animal component-free culture medium at just $0.63 per liter, which supports the long-term, high-density culture of chicken cells.
“We were inspired by how Ford’s automated assembly line revolutionized the car industry 110 years ago,” says Prof. Nahmias. “Our findings show that continuous manufacturing enables cultivated meat production at a fraction of current costs without resorting to genetic modification or mega-factories. This technology brings us closer to making cultivated meat a viable and sustainable alternative to traditional animal farming.”
Bruce Friedrich, President of The Good Food Institute, expressed his support, stating, “GFI applauds the spirit of openness that continues to characterize cultivated meat researchers like Dr. Koby Nahmias and his colleagues, who understand that showing the scientific potential of cultivated meat will benefit all scientists working in the field.”
Dr. Elliot Swartz, Principal Scientist at Cultivated Meat, The Good Food Institute, emphasized the significance of the study’s findings, stating, “Empirical data is the bedrock for any cost model of scaled cultivated meat production, and this study is the first to provide real-world empirical evidence for key factors that influence the cost of production, such as media cost, metabolic efficiency, and achievable yields in a scalable bioprocess design.”
This study not only highlights the promise of cellular agriculture in meeting the global demand for animal products but also aligns with broader environmental and ethical objectives by reducing reliance on traditional livestock farming.
The research represents the first demonstration of cost-efficient manufacturing of cultivated meat and the first empirical economic analysis based on solid data. This collaborative effort involved engineers, biologists, and chemists at Hebrew University and ADM-funded Believer Meats, which is currently building the world’s first large-scale industrial production facility for cultivated chicken in North Carolina. This technological advancement could have a profound impact on animal welfare, food safety, and food security, addressing the needs of a global population increasingly affected by climate change.
As global demand for animal protein is expected to double by 2050, cellular agriculture offers a solution to meet this demand, especially as resource-intensive livestock production reaches its peak capacity. Despite recent FDA approvals for cultivated meat production, large-scale production of cultivated meat has yet to become a reality. Previous techno-economic analyses suggested economic challenges, ranging from factory to raw materials costs, casting doubt about the viability of cultivated meat production.
The authors acknowledged that various other factors would affect the final market price of cultivated meat; this research underscores the potential of continuous manufacturing to significantly lower production costs, making cultivated meat more accessible to consumers and competitive with conventional meat products.
The research paper titled “Empirical economic analysis shows cost-effective continuous manufacturing of cultivated chicken using animal-free medium” can be accessed here.
Researchers:
Laura Pasitka1, Guy Wissotsky2, Muneef Ayyash1,2, Nir Yarza2, Gal Rosoff2, Revital Kaminker2, Yaakov Nahmias1,2,3
Institutions:
- Grass Center for Bioengineering, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
- Believer Meats; Rehovot
- Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
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