Bioprocess Symposium «Passion for Bioprocessing» · 3 November 2026, Bern · free of charge Register ➜
Bioprocess Symposium «Passion for Bioprocessing» · 3 November 2026, Bern · free of charge Register ➜
The future of meat lies in groundbreaking lab-grown innovations, leveraging the cultured meat process to create sustainable alternatives to traditional meat production. This innovative approach involves cultivating cells in controlled environments to replicate natural meat’s texture and nutritional content — a process known as the lab-grown meat process.
As cultured meat production continues to evolve, it promises to revolutionize the food industry by offering ethical, environmentally friendly meat options without the need for animal farming.
Cultured meat — also called cultivated or lab-grown meat — is produced by expanding animal cells ex vivo in controlled bioreactor systems instead of raising and slaughtering whole animals. It combines principles from stem cell biology, tissue engineering, and bioprocess engineering to generate edible muscle and fat tissues with meat-like structure and nutritional properties.
In contrast to classical microbial fermentations or industrial mammalian processes, cultured meat bioprocesses must maintain not only high viability and productivity but also the correct differentiation state, tissue architecture, and sensory attributes — because the cells and tissues themselves become the final food product.
Media components, scaffolds, and any process additives must be compatible with food-grade standards and future regulatory frameworks for human consumption — while processes must remain scalable from milliliter-scale R&D to pilot and production volumes with reproducible texture, flavor, and nutritional quality.
The cultured meat process — also known as cultivated meat or artificial meat process — begins with cell extraction and follows a structured sequence through to harvest and product development.
Cells suitable for meat production are harvested — usually muscle stem cells which are capable of differentiating into muscle tissue and form the biological basis of cultivated meat.
Selected cells are cultivated in a bioreactor with ideal conditions for growth — including temperature, oxygen, pH, and a nutrient-rich medium — promoting rapid cell proliferation. Initial expansion typically uses parallel small-scale runs in the Applikon MiniBio for media and parameter optimization, then scales up in bench- and pilot-scale glass or single-use bioreactors (e.g. Applikon BioBench, BioPilot) — operated in batch, fed-batch or perfusion mode to reach target biomass and cell densities.
Once high cell density is reached, differentiation takes place. Inside the bioreactor, cells develop into different muscle fiber types — the building blocks of meat.
Over several weeks, muscle fibers accumulate to form meat tissue. The lab-grown meat is then harvested. Batch, fed-batch, perfusion, or chemostat processes can all be applied.
Texture, taste, and nutritional properties can be modified after harvesting — including enhancement with other cell types such as proliferated fat cells for improved product quality.
Lab-grown meat is prepared and tested for consumption, ensuring it meets safety and quality standards. Authorization procedures are in progress in various countries to define required quality standards.
Applikon offers a complete portfolio from mini-scale screening to full production — all with harmonized control solutions and scalable process modes.
A true scale-down of classical lab-scale bioreactors, ideal for screening, media optimization, and early process development for both microbial and cell culture applications. Multiple parallel runs generate scalable data for cultured meat processes.
Learn moreCustom-configured via 3D printing — including impeller designs and port configurations. Highly suitable for sterile, flexible cultivated meat development workflows where reduced cleaning and turnaround times are important.
Modular, autoclavable systems for all mammalian and stem cell types. Bridge the gap between Minibio and Biopilot reactors, enabling highly instrumented process characterization and scale-up studies.
Stainless-steel bioreactors designed for consistent scale-up with harmonized control solutions. Suited for continuous or fed-batch microbial meat processes and large-scale cultivated meat production — supporting batch, fed-batch, and perfusion.
High-frequency ultrasonic waves for gentle cell retention without membranes — enabling continuous or intensified processes and gentle harvesting within one device. Integrates with Livit Flex and my-Control for a complete platform.
Learn moreUnderstanding the science behind lab-grown meat is essential for developing scalable, reproducible cultivation processes. The methodology combines cell biology, tissue engineering, and advanced bioreactor technology.
Cell culture involves growing cells in a controlled environment outside their natural setting. For lab-grown meat, this typically starts with harvesting stem cells from animals. The Applikon Mini Bioreactor provides an optimal environment for these initial cell cultures with a minimal working volume — the cells are the base of the entire meat production process.
Harvested cells are cultivated to multiply and differentiate into muscle fibers — the primary component of meat. In cases where a structured piece of meat is the end product, the process requires a scaffold where cells can grow to form three-dimensional tissue structures that replicate the texture of conventional meat.
Selected muscle stem cells are cultivated in the bioreactor under ideal conditions — precise temperature, oxygen, pH, and a nutrient-rich medium. Once high cell density is reached through proliferation, differentiation begins: cells develop into different muscle fiber types inside the bioreactor, forming the building blocks of meat.
Over time, muscle fibers accumulate to form meat tissue. The process can take several weeks, after which the lab-grown meat is harvested. As with conventional meat products, the texture, taste, and nutritional properties of the lab-grown meat can be modified after harvesting — including enhancement with other cell types such as proliferated fat cells.
Finally, the lab-grown meat is prepared and tested for consumption, ensuring it meets safety and quality standards. Authorization procedures are currently in progress in various countries to define the required quality standards. This step ensures the product is suitable and safe for market entry.
Our specialists support you throughout the entire bioprocess lifecycle — from system selection and application design to implementation, optimization, and long-term operation. We work closely with you to ensure reliable, compliant, and scalable solutions tailored to your requirements.
Reach out to discuss innovative approaches for your project.
Cultured meat production typically starts with harvesting muscle stem cells from animals. These cells are capable of differentiating into muscle tissue — the primary biological component of meat. They are cultivated in a bioreactor where they proliferate and then differentiate into different muscle fiber types, which form the building blocks of lab-grown meat.
The bioreactor is the core vessel of the cultured meat process. It provides precisely controlled conditions — temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, and nutrient supply — that allow cells to grow and differentiate as they would inside an animal. The Applikon Mini Bioreactor is particularly suited for R&D, providing optimal culture conditions at small scale, while also supporting scale-up towards production volumes.
Cultured meat production can apply different bioprocess types depending on the production stage and target product. These include batch, fed-batch, perfusion, and chemostat processes — each offering different advantages in terms of cell density, nutrient supply, and product yield. The Applikon bioreactor platform supports all of these process formats.
The cultured meat process can take several weeks from initial cell inoculation to harvest. The timeline depends on the cell type, culture conditions, and the scale of production. After harvesting, the lab-grown meat may undergo additional post-harvest processing steps to modify texture, taste, and nutritional properties before it is ready for testing and product development.
Authorization procedures for cultured meat are currently in progress in various countries to define the required quality and safety standards. The regulatory landscape is evolving as the field advances. Currently, lab-grown meat is prepared and tested to ensure it meets food safety requirements, and regulatory approvals are being sought across multiple jurisdictions to enable commercial market entry.
