Could cultured insect proteins be a viable solution for the new food frontier?

June 04, 2019 — Insect meat grown in the laboratory, plant-fed and genetically engineered for optimal growth, nutrition and taste, could provide a viable and even "superior" green alternative for the production of wheat. 39 healthy foods at high volume. This is according to researchers at Tufts University, writing in Borders in sustainable food systems, which offer insect-grown proteins as a potential solution to soil and water degradation, biodiversity loss, acid rain, coral reef degeneration, deforestation and climate change, resulting from the conventional breeding of meat.

One of the advantages of insect cell culture is that large scale production has been used successfully for the recombinant protein production industry – a pharmaceutical industry that uses cells as factories to generate nutrients. therapeutic products. "We can learn from the experiments and processes badociated with insect cell culture for the recombinant protein production industry and translate the results into terms of cell culture support." of insects for food, "says lead author Natalie Rubio Food IngredientsFirst. "The changes needed for large-scale production are also simpler to achieve with insect cells, which are currently used for the bioproduction of insecticides, drugs, and vaccines."

"However, considerable effort is needed to move from the process of pharmaceutical applications to food applications. For example, for food applications, the scale must be larger and the cost must be lower, "she said.

But for other types of meat in the area of ​​cell farming, a proof of concept in terms of scalability has already been provided, which could indicate the same result for meat of insect grown in the laboratory in the near future. Singaporean start-up Shiok Meats managed to grow about 25 grams of laboratory-grown shrimp meat in four to six weeks. On a larger scale of production, the team predicts that it will be possible to produce "thousands or even tons" of shrimp meat in the same or lesser time frame, and provides for a start in the top restaurants. range of Singapore in 2020.

Research on lab-grown insect meat at Tufts University is, at present, strictly academic. "I do not have a prediction as to when the crop protein could be marketed realistically," says Rubio. "This is a small project and a lot of research and development is needed to make the concept feasible. Donations and support to research organizations such as New Harvest will directly accelerate the types of research that will help the field move toward commercialization. "

The fledgling industry of insect meat as a whole is calling for stronger regulatory policies. This was demonstrated last month when the International Platform of Insects for Food and Feed (IPIFF) reaffirmed the need to establish European standards for food hygiene for the insect sector, while promoting transparent communication throughout the food chain.

What defines the term "sustainable"?
The authors of the Tufts University report point to a gap to be filled in the case of meat substitutes, where soya or mushroom-based substitutes "do not hit the foot" – and some crop plants are "thirsty as they are". livestock". In addition, laboratory-grown beef, pork, or chicken cells may require more energy and resources than livestock, as noted in an earlier study by Oxford Martin School. .

"The public has recently shown a keen interest in cultured meat and many articles highlight the potential for beef cattle substitution with cultured meat to bring significant climate benefit," said the chief author of the Oxford Martin School's study, John Lynch. "We show that it is not yet clear if this is the case, partly because of uncertainties as to how the cultivated meat would be produced on a large scale."

Laboratory-grown insect meat can prove its potential by minimizing water and space resources without compromising on taste. In addition, insect cultivation requires much less water and space – "think of vertical rearing" – and twice as many locusts are edible as those of a bovine cow with a flat stomach. Unsurprisingly, however, scientists agree that critters are even more difficult to swallow, scientists say.

"Compared to mammalian, bird and other vertebrate cells, insect cell cultures require fewer resources and less energy-saving environmental control because they have lower glucose requirements." and can thrive in a wider range of conditions of temperature, pH, oxygen and osmolarity, "reports Rubio.

Research for these applications has already led to inexpensive and animal-free growth media for insect cells – including soy and yeast-based preparations – as well as to "suspended culture". Successful.

"In most mammalian muscle cell culture systems, cells must be fixed in a single layer on a growth surface, complex to scale for mbad food production. However, many insect cells can be grown in free suspension in a growth medium suspension to enable cost-effective and high-density cell generation, "says Rubio.

The technology developed to stimulate insect tissue movements for bio-robotics could also be applied to food production, since a regular contraction may be required for the cultured insect muscle to develop a texture. fleshy ". Optogenetic engineering is a particularly effective method, in which cells contract under the effect of light by introducing a new gene – another benefit of insect cells, which more readily accept modifications. than other animal cells.

How are you going to taste?
The short answer, says Rubio, is that nobody knows it. "Despite this huge potential, the cultivated insect meat is not ready for consumption. Research is underway to master two key processes: control the development of insect cells into muscle and fat, and combine them in 3D with a meat-like texture. For the latter, sponges made from chitosan – a fiber derived from fungus that is also present in the exoskeleton of invertebrates – constitute a promising option. "

In the end, plowing insects may give more familiar flavors. "Advances in insect cell culture and tissue engineering can potentially be translated into lobster, crab and shrimp, because of the evolving proximity of insects and crustaceans," suggests Rubio.

"Because of environmental, public health and animal welfare concerns related to our current livestock system, it is essential to develop more sustainable methods of food production," she urged. "Genetically modified livestock, for example, which produces less methane or resists disease, can do nothing to alleviate problems such as land and water degradation, deforestation and loss of biodiversity."

By Benjamin Ferrer

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