Impact of artificial meat as novel food: controversies and future perspectives

1 UOC di Nutrizione Clinica, Dipartimento di Scienze Mediche e Chirurgiche, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
2 Corso di Laurea in Dietistica, Università Cattolica Del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
3 Dipartimento di Medicina e Chirurgia Traslazionale, Università Cattolica Del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy

ABSTRACT

Artificial meat, also called «synthetic», «cultured», or «in-vitro» meat, is growing in interest worldwide as a possible alternative protein source to regular meat derived from farm animals. Artificial meat production starts from an isolated muscle cell taken from a live animal and then cultivated to form slices of artificial meat with taste, texture, and look similar to regular meat. On the one hand, artificial meat can be considered safer since it is more uncontaminated from a microbiological point of view; on the other hand, the high level of cellular replication used in the production mechanisms can lead to a dysregulation of the DNA. While fats amount and type could be better than regular meat, protein intake may be the same, but iron and vitamin intake is still unclear. The impact on human health is poorly studied, and its impact on gut microbiota remains unknown. Moreover, the impact on the environment is still under debate. Well-designed studies are needed to evaluate better the impact of using artificial meat as a substitute for regular meat on human health, gut microbiota, and the environment.

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Publication history:

Submission date: 13th Mar, 2023
Revised on: 21th Mar, 2023
Accepted on: 27th Mar, 2023
Published online: 05th Apr, 2023

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