Nutritional, environmental and social profiles of natural meat and food derived from cultured muscle cells: An overview

The increase in global population and changing socioeconomic profile in developing regions has placed growing pressure on global food systems. Livestock are integral to food production but are often perceived as having a negative impact on the environment. This overlooks the positive effects of livestock including benefits for soil carbon, nutrient cycling, and ecosystem services which are relevant for smallholder farmers and large production systems. The major global initiative that incorporates livestock in agroecology, partly under the umbrella of One Health, is changing the perception of livestock in ethical and sustainable food systems. One Health has the core principles of healthy animals, healthy ecosystems, and healthy people. In terms of health, natural meat is a nutrient-dense, nutritious food that contains all nine essential amino acids, the six conditionally essential amino acids, plus key minerals and vitamins. Notwithstanding the changing role of livestock in landscapes, negative perceptions created the opportunity for the emergence of the cultured (laboratory-grown) muscle cell (CMC) industry. The latter makes claims of minimal impact on the environment and a significant reduction in livestock in food systems, which is promoted as animal welfare. The production and composition of CMC food is protected under intellectual property law and proprietary licenses. This makes it difficult to assess the potential environmental and health outcomes of consuming CMC food. In this article we take a fresh look at the nutritional, environmental and social profiles of natural meat and food products derived from CMC.