# Biological and Technical Challenges Related to Cultured Meat Production
## 3 Challenges Related to Cultured Meat Production
### Biotechnological Challenges
#### 3.1.7 FBS Alternatives  
As previously reported, to comply with the principles of cellular agriculture, it is necessary to find reliable alternatives to FBS for cell cultivation that guarantee sustainability and ethical development. Several studies have been performed to meet the demand for edible FBS alternative. However, most of the studies in the literature seem to be in conflict with the principles of cellular agriculture, as they applied animal-based alternatives to FBS such as fetal serum from other species (e.g., goat) or other animal by-products (e.g., bovine ocular fluid), which, although very efficient, are characterized by the same problems as FBS [35; 45]. Similarly, human platelet lysate has also been considered due to its ability to promote the proliferation of stem cells derived from human adipose tissue, but being human-derived, it is not suitable for consumption [34; 46]. When working with cell culture, the use of chemically defined media (recombinant protein and growth factors) is a common practice. These, although ethical and suitable for human consumption, are characterized by a high cost that makes them unsuitable for large-scale application. It is therefore essential to study innovative matrices that, when added to the culture medium, can sustain cell proliferation and viability in both the short and long term, thus ensuring the sustainability and ethicality of the production process. Possible matrices tested on the proliferation of different cell culture are those reported by [PERSON] et al. [47] (Table 2). However, although most of them may be good candidates as alternative to FBS due to their high proliferative capacity on cell, they need to be discussed in terms of sustainability and ethics. The matrices shown in Table 2 are those that achieved promising results in cell proliferation and viability. Most of these are of plant origin (plant peptones, rice, soy wheat, Marine cyanobacterium Spirulina _maxima_, Chlorella vulgaris, and rapeseed), in light with the principle of cellular agriculture. Particular attention should be focused on hydrolyses. Their relatively low cost makes them very attractive as FBS replacement components. However, as hydrolysate products are not fully characterized, further understanding of their components and the mechanism by which they influence cell growth and maintenance is crucial to their large-scale application [47]. Sericin is a macromolecular, globular, biodegradable, and biocompatible protein produced within the central gland of silkworms. It is obtained by degumming the cocoon of _Bombyx mori_. For a long time it was considered a waste product of silk processing until researchers explored its potential within pharmaceutical, biomedical, and cosmetic application [35; 60]. In addition to these fields, sericin finds application as an edible coating material within food products due to its ability to retard oxidative activity to polyphenols damage, opening an interesting debate on its possible use as an alternative to FBS in the maintenance of cell culture [61]. Being an animal-derived product, its use would not fully satisfy the requirements of ethics and edibility. However, it must be reiterated that this is a waste product of the silk-processing industry and its use within a different sector can meet the circular economy principle. Why protein is one of the main components of milk. Specifically, it is a by-product of the dairy industry characterized by a high biological value thanks to its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and antitumor properties, expressed both when consumed individually and as an additive in other foods [62; 63; 64]. These functions can be attributed to its excellent nutritional composition; it consists mainly of \(\alpha\)-lactalbumin, albumin, \(\beta\)-galactoglobulin, and immunoglobulin [62]. For these reasons, it has been investigated as a substitute for FBS within culture mediums. Again, this is a product of animal origin.