Eggshell membrane as a natural food-grade scaffold for cultured meat

Abstract

The increasing global population and growing necessity for sustainable food production, cultured meat production has emerged as a promising technology. However, its successful production requires edible food-grade scaffolds and reduced production costs. In this study we determined the feasibility of eggshell membrane (ESM) as a natural food-grade scaffold. We optimized an efficient ESM extraction method and storage temperature with high cell attachment efficiency. We assessed the maintenance, differentiation and proliferation of bMuSCs on culture dish and ESM. As a result, it was confirmed that maintenance, differentiation, and proliferation markers were higher on ESM than culture dish. Finally, we determined 1 ng/ml of bFGF and 5% horse serum (HS) concentrations for optimal maintenance and differentiation of bMuSCs on ESM. Based on this, after long-term culture, the ESM scaffold supported the bovine myotube differentiation. Ultimately, ESM is shown to be a valuable scaffold biomaterial with a role to play in the production of cultured meat. Industrial relevanceThis research used by-product of egg, a natural food-grade raw material, as a scaffold for cultured meat production. By upcycling, wasted and broken eggshells from industry materials, the approach is environmentally friendly. Egg membranes are convenient for food processing and long-term storage, safe to consume in terms of food safety, and can be supplied continuously at a low cost. In the production of cultured meat, it is necessary to use eggshell membranes with microbial loads that are strictly controlled throughout the processes of separation, storage, and usage. This experiment demonstrated that eggshell membranes exhibit high proliferation, differentiation, and adhesion efficiency in bovine muscle stem cell culture, proving that cultured meat can be produced with high efficiency and low cost at the production stage.