The R&D project, CULTUREDMEAT, that has investigated the meats of the future aimed at preventing colon cancer and dyslipidemia has been developed by eight partner organizations and ten research organizations, with the goal of achieving a more sustainable and healthy agri-food sector.
In a world threatened by climate change, population growth poses a challenge when it comes to combining food and sustainability. Therefore, cultured meat is positioned as one of the greatest innovations of our century, integrating food safety, animal welfare, and sustainability into a single product ideal for the whole family. Artificial meat or cultured meat, also known as in vitro meat or laboratory meat, is animal meat that does not come directly from the body of an animal, but rather from the cultivation of muscle cells previously extracted from animals.
The overall objective of the CULTUREDMEAT project was to research laboratory-produced meat, along with the sustainable production and addition of healthy fats and functional ingredients that, when processed using different technologies, allow for the production of meat products for the prevention of dyslipidemia and colon cancer.
This project was submitted to the CDTI MISIONES call for proposals, a program designed to support Strategic Sectoral Initiatives for Business Innovation within the framework of the State Program for Business Leadership in R&D&I of the State Plan for Scientific, Technical, and Innovation 2017-2020.
Who is part of CULTURED MEAT?
Currently, there are very few entities worldwide producing laboratory-grown meat. In all cases, these are predominantly scientific startups that have not managed to overcome the barrier to larger-scale production. Cultured meat production has sparked significant interest in the industry, and numerous investment funds are investing in this new meat production strategy.
CULTUREDMEAT was born thanks to the collaboration of biotech companies specializing in nutrition and production technologies at the national level, such as Argal (project leader), Biotech Foods, Martínez Somalo, DMC Research, BDI Biotech, Neoalgae, BTSA, and Agrowingdata. The consortium also collaborates with 10 research organizations (Universities and Technology Centers) to develop the idea. ZABALA Innovation is leading the project management thanks to its extensive experience in R&D grant applications.
Benefits of Cultured Meat
The consumption of red meat (beef, pork, lamb, etc.) is associated with highly prevalent diseases in Western countries, such as colon cancer and dyslipidemia. Specifically, in Spain, colon cancer is the most common cancer in the population (considering both sexes). Therefore, research into functional ingredients that can help prevent these diet-related diseases with a high social impact is necessary.
The project concluded on June 30, 2024, with very positive results, which represents a major advance in this area.
