Biointelligent design of edible gellan- and plant protein-based hybrid prototypes for cultivated meat containing fat spheroids

With the growing global population, the demand for meat continues to rise, and alternative approaches to the conventional meat production, must be explored. Cultivated meat (CM), produced from animal cells outside the animal, offers a promising solution but remains in early development. Initial CM products will likely be hybrid constructs with a high proportion of plant-based biomaterials. This study evaluated five biomaterials for their suitability for a hybrid product manufactured via extrusion-based 3D printing. The polysaccharide gellan gum (GG) and two plant proteins (soy and pea) were investigated individually and as GG-protein blends. Their rheological behavior, storage stability, and frying performance were systematically analyzed. Pure plant protein biomaterials exhibited higher firmness and shape retention during frying, whereas GG-based biomaterials showed thermoreversible melting behavior upon heating. Coloring the protein-based biomaterials with red beet powder had no significant effect on their rheological properties or frying behavior. All GG-based inks, as well as the colored protein inks, demonstrated satisfactory printability using extrusion-based 3D printing. To exploit the melting properties of GG as a fat-mimicking design element, a CAD model was developed featuring a protein-based "muscle shell" with embedded "fat domains" composed of GG. These domains were further enriched with adipogenically differentiated bovine adipose-derived stem cells (bASC) spheroids. Finally, the texture of the CM-hybrid prototypes was compared to three commercially available meat alternatives, both before and after frying. While the prototypes exhibited a softer texture, their structural integrity during frying and modular design highlight their potential suitability in the rising field of CM-hybrid products.