Abstract: The present disclosure relates to one or more vacuum drying methods and apparatuses to partially dry a comestible cell-based meat product after being harvested from a bioreactor. The vacuum drying method includes implementing a pressure-temperature environment to evaporate a portion of the moisture content from a comestible cell-based meat product. In doing so, the vacuum drying method can concentrate protein in the comestible cell-based meat product, as well as minerals and other non-liquid components. Specifically, at refrigeration temperatures, the vacuum drying method preserves cellular structure of the comestible cell-based meat product and facilitates safe processing according to various rules and regulations for raw meat sale, distribution, and consumer consumption. In addition, lowered environmental pressure provides reduced drying times to achieve a particular moisture content criteria or threshold mass of the comestible cell-based meat product.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides methods and compositions useful for the production of slaughter-free meat products, and the characterizations of the same. The slaughter-free meat products contain several points of distinction when compared to conventional meat procured by harvesting the tissue of a dead animal. Such points of distinction include, but are not limited to, significantly reduced or substantially no: steroid hormones, antibiotics, or microbial contamination; lower fat content; no vasculature; and extended shelf life both at room temperature and when refrigerated.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to methods of washing cells from a grown cell mass to remove cell culture media and enriching the cells with a finishing media. The disclosed method includes growing a cell mass in cell culture media and then collecting and washing the grown cell mass with a series of wash buffers or a gradient wash buffer that changes over time. While the cell culture media contains nutrients and components beneficial for cell growth, cells grown in cell culture media often have off flavors, off aromas, poor color, poor salt/minerality compositions, and other shortcomings. Accordingly, the disclosed method comprises removing cell culture media remnants from a grown cell mass using a single or a series of wash media. The grown cell mass is further washed with a finishing or enrichment buffer to further improve sensory aspects and nutritional composition of the grown cell mass.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to methods of growing cells within a hydrogel scaffold and pressurizing the hydrogel and cells to induce the cells to stretch and differentiation. The disclosed method can include coating a substrate of a bioreactor with a hydrogel and seeding cells onto the hydrogel and/or the substrate. The disclosed method can further include growing the seeded cells into a cell mass and pressurizing the cell mass and the hydrogel within the bioreactor. Pressurizing the cell mass and the hydrogel induces the cell mass and hydrogel to mechanically stretch, thereby inducing hypertrophy and cell alignment.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to methods of size reducing, mixing, and folding subsets of a raw cell-based-meat product to improve the texture of a cell-based-meat product. The disclosed method can include collecting different portions of raw tissue product from either a single grown cell mass or different grown cell masses. The disclosed method can include finely chopping a first portion of cell mass into a fibrous pulp or paste and coarsely size-reducing a second portion of cell mass into segments. The first and second portions can be recombined and thoroughly mixed. In particular, the disclosed method includes mixing techniques that align fibers within the recombined portions. Examples of mixing techniques include dragging tines through the recombined portions, utilizing an extruder, and other methods. The combined mixture can further be flattened and folded to give the combined mixture additional structure and organization to better mimic conventional slaughtered meat.

Abstract: This disclosure generally describes comestible cell-based food products including a combination of cultured cells and dry cell powder and methods for preparing such cell-based food products. In one or more embodiments, the comestible cell-based food product comprises a mixture of cultured animal cells and dry cultured animal cell powder. For example, the comestible cell-based food product is produced by generating a homogenous mixture of cultured animal cells and dry cultured animal cell powder. In one or more embodiments, the dry cultured animal cell powder improves the texture of the resultant comestible cell-based food product by tailoring the hardness and/or adhesiveness of the comestible cell-based food product.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides methods and compositions useful for the production of slaughter-free meat products, and the characterizations of the same. The slaughter-free meat products contain several points of distinction when compared to conventional meat procured by harvesting the tissue of a dead animal. Such points of distinction include, but are not limited to, significantly reduced or substantially no: steroid hormones, antibiotics, or microbial contamination; lower fat content; no vasculature; and extended shelf life both at room temperature and when refrigerated.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides methods and compositions useful for the production of slaughter-free meat products, and the characterizations of the same. The slaughter-free meat products contain several points of distinction when compared to conventional meat procured by harvesting the tissue of a dead animal. Such points of distinction include, but are not limited to, significantly reduced or substantially no: steroid hormones, antibiotics, or microbial contamination; lower fat content; no vasculature; and extended shelf life both at room temperature and when refrigerated.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides methods and compositions useful for the production of slaughter-free meat products, and the characterizations of the same. The slaughter-free meat products contain several points of distinction when compared to conventional meat procured by harvesting the tissue of a dead animal. Such points of distinction include, but are not limited to, significantly reduced or substantially no: steroid hormones, antibiotics, or microbial contamination; lower fat content; no vasculature; and extended shelf life both at room temperature and when refrigerated.