Technological Advances and the Challenges for Large-Scale Cultured Meat Production

Cultured meat, produced through in vitro cultivation of animal cells, represents a promising solution to the environmental, ethical, and resource-intensive challenges of conventional livestock production. Significant technological advances have been achieved in seed cell acquisition, serum-free culture media development, bioreactor scale-up, 3D tissue formation, and sensory enhancement. Nevertheless, substantial hurdles persist in achieving cost-effective large-scale production, ensuring product safety and quality, establishing robust regulatory frameworks, and securing widespread consumer acceptance. This review examines recent progress throughout the cultured meat production chain, critically analyzes unresolved challenges, and outlines essential research priorities for realizing its industrial potential.