Current status and challenges for cell-cultured milk technology: a systematic review

Abstract

Abstract Cellular agriculture is an innovative technology for manufacturing sustainable agricultural products as an alternative to traditional agriculture. While most cellular agriculture is predominantly centered on the production of cultured meat, there is a growing demand for an understanding of the production techniques involved in dairy products within cellular agriculture. This review focuses on the current status of cellular agriculture in the dairy sector and technical challenges for cell-cultured milk production. Cellular agriculture technology in the dairy sector has been classified into fermentation-based and animal cell culture-based cellular agriculture. Currently, various companies synthesize milk components through precision fermentation technology. Nevertheless, several startup companies are pursuing animal cell-based technology, driven by public concerns regarding genetically modified organisms in precision fermentation technology. Hence, this review offers an up-to-date exploration of animal cell-based cellular agriculture to produce milk components, specifically emphasizing the structural, functional, and productive aspects of mammary epithelial cells, providing new information for industry and academia.

Keywords

• Cell culture system
• Cell-cultured milk
• Mammary epithelial cells
• Precision fermentation