NEW TECH FOODS

Lab-grown meat promises a more sustainable and ethical way to produce animal protein, but creating thick, structured cuts has been a major challenge. Shoji Takeuchi and his team at the University of Tokyo are making strides in this area, using hollow fibers to mimic blood vessels and grow healthy, centimeter-thick chicken tissue. In an interview with New Tech Foods, Takeuchi explains their breakthrough, the hurdles still to overcome and what the future could hold for cultured chicken.

Could you please share more details about the key achievement your research team at the University of Tokyo has made in lab-grown chicken, and why it's such an important step forward in the cultivated food space?

Our team developed a method to grow structured chicken tissue by using an array of semipermeable hollow fibers that mimic the function of blood vessels. This set-up allowed us to create a cultured meat sample with cm-scale thickness while maintaining healthy tissue structure throughout. It’s a meaningful step toward producing structured cultured meat, which has been a major challenge due to limitations in nutrient delivery within thick constructs.

What are the challenges scientists have faced in creating lab-grown chicken, and how does this new method address them?

One major challenge is that cells deep inside thick tissues often die due to insufficient oxygen and nutrients. Traditional methods rely on diffusion from the outside, which isn’t enough beyond a certain size.

Our method addresses this by providing internal perfusion through the hollow fibers, allowing us to support the growth of thicker, healthier tissue.

How does the use of semipermeable hollow fibres mimic the function of blood vessels, and why is this important for lab-grown meat production?

Just like capillaries in the body, the hollow fibers carry nutrient-and oxygen-rich fluid through their lumens. These fibers are semipermeable, allowing small molecules to diffuse outward to surrounding cells. This internal supply mimics blood flow and is essential for supporting three-dimensional tissue development – especially when creating whole cuts of meat.

How close do you think lab-grown chicken is to becoming commercially viable, and what are the key hurdles that still need to be overcome?

Cultured chicken is getting closer to viability, but there are still hurdles. These include:

• Cost reduction, especially for growth media and scaffolds;

• Food-grade replacements for currently research-grade materials;

• And automation to enable consistent large-scale production.

With strong R&D investment and regulatory support, I believe commercial availability is possible within 5 to 10 years, at least for select applications.

In terms of consumer acceptance, what are some of the concerns that still need to be addressed before lab-grown meat is widely accepted?

Important concerns include:

• Food safety, not only in the short term but also regarding potential long-term health effects;

• Transparency in the production process, so that consumers clearly understand how cultured meat is made;

• And of course, delivering good taste and satisfying texture, which are essential for acceptance.

Addressing all of these aspects will be crucial to gaining public trust.

What role do you see lab-grown chicken playing in the broader context of sustainable food systems and alternatives to traditional livestock farming?

Lab-grown chicken has the potential to contribute to reducing the environmental footprint of meat production, including lower land use, water consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. It also offers a way to support animal welfare by decoupling meat production from animal slaughter.

I see it as an additional choice alongside traditional and plant-based options, rather than something that must replace existing industries.

How do you envision the scalability of this technique, and how could it impact the meat industry in the future?

Our technique is designed to be modular and scalable. The hollow fiber arrays can potentially be mass-produced and assembled into larger bioreactors. If combined with automated fiber placement and efficient perfusion systems, this method could contribute to producing structured cultured meat at industrial scales.

Are there any ethical considerations that need to be addressed when it comes to lab-grown meat, especially in relation to animal welfare and food security?

Absolutely. On one hand, cultured meat could greatly improve animal welfare by reducing the need for slaughter. On the other hand, we must ensure the ethical sourcing of initial cells, fair access to the technology and responsible communication. Ethical frameworks must evolve alongside science to maintain public trust.

What kind of regulatory challenges do lab-grown meat products still face, and how do you see these evolving as the technology matures?

Current regulatory systems were designed for conventional foods. Cultured meat raises new questions around safety testing, production standards and labeling. While Singapore, the US and a few other countries have started to approve products, many countries are still developing frameworks. Collaboration between researchers, industry, and regulators will be essential for progress.

10. What is next for you and your team? Do you have any exciting plans in the pipeline?

We are currently working on several fronts:

• Developing edible hollow fiber materials to eliminate the need for removal;

• Improving cost-efficiency and automation;

• And exploring how to combine muscle with other tissue types like fat or connective tissue to achieve better flavor and functionality.

We’re also expanding our collaboration with food companies to move closer to practical applications.

Anything else you would like our readers to know?

I’d like readers to know that while cultured meat is still in its early stages, progress is accelerating. Our work is just one piece of a larger global effort to rethink how we produce animal-based food in a more sustainable, ethical and technologically advanced way. It’s an exciting time to be working at the intersection of biology, engineering, and food.