Structuring the Future of Cultured Meat: Hybrid Gel-Based Scaffolds for Edibility and Functionality

Abstract

Cultured meat is emerging as a sustainable alternative to conventional animal agriculture, with scaffolds playing a central role in supporting cellular attachment, growth, and tissue maturation. This review focuses on the development of gel-based hybrid biomaterials that meet the dual requirements of biocompatibility and food safety. We explore recent advances in the use of naturally derived gel-forming polymers such as gelatin, chitosan, cellulose, alginate, and plant-based proteins as the structural backbone for edible scaffolds. Particular attention is given to the integration of food-grade functional additives into hydrogel-based scaffolds. These include nanocellulose, dietary fibers, modified starches, polyphenols, and enzymatic crosslinkers such as transglutaminase, which enhance mechanical stability, rheological properties, and cell-guidance capabilities. Rather than focusing on fabrication methods or individual case studies, this review emphasizes the material-centric design strategies for building scalable, printable, and digestible gel scaffolds suitable for cultured meat production. By systemically evaluating the role of each component in structural reinforcement and biological interaction, this work provides a comprehensive frame work for designing next-generation edible scaffold systems. Nonetheless, the field continues to face challenges, including structural optimization, regulatory validation, and scale-up, which are critical for future implementation. Ultimately, hybrid gel-based scaffolds are positioned as a foundational technology for advancing the functionality, manufacturability, and consumer readiness of cultured meat products, distinguishing this work from previous reviews. Unlike previous reviews that have focused primarily on fabrication techniques or tissue engineering applications, this review provides a uniquely food-centric perspective by systematically evaluating the compositional design of hybrid hydrogel-based scaffolds with edibility, scalability, and consumer acceptance in mind. Through a comparative analysis of food-safe additives and naturally derived biopolymers, this review establishes a framework that bridges biomaterials science and food engineering to advance the practical realization of cultured meat products.

Keywords: cultured meat; edible scaffolds; gel; hydrogel; natural polymers.

Figure 1

Schematic of cultured meat production highlighting the multifunctional role of scaffolds in tissue structuring, nutrient delivery, and ensuring edibility.

Figure 2

(A) Immunofluorescence images of NC and MSTN KO cells grown on GSH and PSH (red = myosin heavy chain MYH; blue = nuclei; green = desmin), 3D construction of MSTN KO myotubes in (B) GSH, and (C) (PSH) (scale bar =200 µm). Reprinted with permission from [25] (Copyright 2025, BMC).

Figure 3

(a) Schematic representation of flat collagen PCL and fibrous collagen PCL scaffolds along with their immunofluorescent images after 14 days of culture (MHC = green). Reprinted with permission from [27] (Copyright 2019, Elsevier). (b) Schematic representation of the collagen-glycosaminoglycan–polypyrrole (CG-PPy) scaffolds via a directional lyophilization approach. Reprinted with permission from [29] (Copyright 2021, RSC).

Figure 4

Schematic representation of the MP collector plates. (a,b) Top view of the MP collector plate; (c) sideview of the aligned collector with channel width as x ≈ 440 µm, y ≈ 160 µm, and z ≈ 90 µm; (d,e) top view of the flat (control) collector plate; and (f) sideview of the control plate. Reprinted with permission from [37] (Copyright 2023, ACS).

Figure 5

Schematic representation of the fabrication of BC-based helical fibers. Reprinted with permission from [44] (Copyright 2021, ACS).

Figure 6

Fluorescent images demonstrating bioartificial muscle (BAM) morphology with C2C12 cells on days 3, 7, and 10 (Phalloidin = red; zein = yellow; Hoechst = blue, scale bar = 100 µm). Reprinted with permission from [58] (Copyright 2023, MDPI).