Fulfilling the Promises of Fermentation-Derived Foods

Abstract

Fermentation-derived foods (FDFs) such as cultured animal cells, edible microbial biomass, and recombinant food proteins have recently seen a notable surge in both investment and public interest. FDFs have been promoted as a more ethical, resilient, and environmentally sustainable food alternative to animal-derived foods such as meat, eggs, and dairy. However, some of the manufacturing process choices and sociopolitical assumptions made by actors in this space could risk undermining the goals of the technology as stated above. This article highlights five aspects of FDFs that should be carefully considered if they are to assist human society successfully transition to a more ethical, sustainable, and resilient food production system: (1) sustainable nitrogen fixation and management, (2) transitioning away from sugar feedstocks, (3) realistic expectations of consumer adoption rate, (4) careful consideration of the role of intellectual property, and (5) greater emphasis on food products that do not require cold or frozen storage.