Cultivated beef shows mixed allergy risks to conventional meat

As cultivated beef moves closer to commercial reality, new research is shedding light on allergy risk and how it compares with conventional meat on health and safety.

Researchers publishing in ACS’ Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry have conducted an early food safety investigation into potential allergens in cultivated beef, revealing a mixed risk profile that could influence future product development and safety assessments.

The study, led by Laura Domigan and Renwick Dobson, compared the protein composition and allergenic potential of cultured beef cells with conventional steak. Results showed cultured cells generally contained fewer traditional beef allergens but provoked stronger immune reactions in blood samples from individuals with an acquired red meat allergy linked to alpha-gal.

Renwick Dobson, corresponding author of the research, said:

This study demonstrates that meat grown from cells can change in ways that matter for food allergies. Our results show why food safety assessments for cultivated meat need to look carefully at allergy-related proteins, rather than assuming they behave the same as those in conventional meat.”

Different protein profiles raise safety questions

Producers make cultivated meat by growing animal muscle cells under tightly controlled conditions, causing the cells to develop protein profiles that differ from muscle tissue in live animals. Earlier studies found cultivated fish cells contained fewer proteins linked to severe allergies than conventional seafood, but comparable evidence for beef has remained scarce – particularly around sensitivity to alpha-gal, a sugar in red meat that can trigger allergic reactions in some individuals.

In the study, researchers cultured male cow muscle cells for varying periods using established protocols and compared them with standard beef steak. While cultured cells showed consistent protein compositions among themselves, they differed significantly from steak. Most known allergenic proteins were present at similar or lower levels in cultured cells, except for three proteins not classified as major meat allergens by the World Health Organization but capable of provoking immune responses.

Further testing using blood samples from a small group of meat-allergic individuals showed lower immunoglobulin E binding to cultured cells compared with conventional beef, consistent with the reduced levels of typical allergen-related proteins. However, cultured cells triggered strong IgE reactivity in samples from two alpha-gal-sensitive individuals, possibly due to higher levels of alpha-gal-modified proteins.

Overall, the findings indicate cultured beef may present a lower hazard related to classic beef allergens but a higher hazard linked to alpha-gal responses. The researchers say the next stage will involve testing finished cultivated meat products rather than cell samples alone.

Dobson added:

The development of cultivated meats will require coordinated efforts between scientific, regulatory, and clinical teams to deliver products that are not only safe and sustainable but also accepted and trusted by the public.

Only through this ongoing collaboration can cultivated meat achieve its promise as a viable, responsible, and widely accepted alternative to conventional meat.”