The Potential Application of Single‐Use Bioreactors in Cultured Meat Production

Abstract

AbstractProduction of cultured meat by proliferation of stem cells is a fast‐growing field drawing significant attention and big investments. Replacement of traditional meat by cell‐based meat can have a huge positive impact on the environmental burden of human meat consumption. Large‐scale production to make cell‐based meat economically feasible and comparable to the cost of conventional meat requires further bioprocess optimization and large investments. Application of single‐use bioreactors at a restricted scale of operation reduces the overall capital expenditures for cultured meat production. The advantages of single‐use bioreactors as experienced in biopharmaceutical applications are applicable to cultured meat production. Here, it is shown that the transfer from traditional cultivation systems to single‐use systems is easily possible. Single‐use bioreactors can contribute to the realization of cultured meat production at “farm level”, thus limiting the investment and technical risks of very large‐scale productions.