According to a recent study by experts at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, a novel continuous manufacturing approach for generating grown meat might drastically lower the cost and complexity of production and boost consumer affordability.

The Hebrew University Alexander Grass Center for Bioengineering's founding director and founder of Believer Meats, Professor Yaakov Nahmias, highlights the utilization of tangential flow filtration (TFF) for the continuous manufacturing of cultured meat in a paper published in Nature Food. By expanding biomass to 130bn cells per liter, the novel bioreactor assembly enables 43% weight-per-volume yields. Over the course of 20 days, the process was run nonstop, allowing for daily biomass harvesting.

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 USD6.20 per pound, approximately the price of USDA organic chicken.

Additionally, the research introduces an animal component-free culture medium at just USD0.63 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. 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," Nahmias said.

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 at https://www.nature.com/articles/s43016-024-01022-w.

The Hebrew University of Jerusalem is Israel's premier academic and research institution. Serving over 23,000 students from 90 countries, the University produces nearly 40% of Israel’s civilian scientific research and has received over 11,000 patents. Faculty and alumni of the Hebrew University have won eight Nobel Prizes, two Turing Awards, and a Fields Medal.

American Friends of the Hebrew University (AFHU) is a national, not-for-profit organization based in the United States. AFHU is headquartered in New York and has seven regional offices working in close partnership with the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. AFHU provides supporters, Hebrew University alumni, and the public with stimulating programs and events and organizes missions to Israel.