Researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have developed a synthetic peptide-based solution to prevent bacterial contamination in cultivated meat, offering an alternative to antibiotics.
The cultivated meat industry seeks to eliminate antibiotics to prevent antimicrobial resistance, but it must still ensure food safety. The research team has created Random Antimicrobial Peptide Mixtures (RPMs), short chains of amino acids that kill bacteria without harming the stem cells essential for meat production.
The project, in collaboration with the Singapore-HUJ Alliance for Research and Enterprise (SHARE), aims to enhance consumer safety, regulatory compliance, and sustainability in cellular agriculture. The researchers are now exploring industrial applications and regulatory approval.
Their findings were published in Food Chemistry: Molecular Sciences, and the team has launched Prevera, a startup developing food protection proteins to replace preservatives and reduce food waste.
Lab-grown meat remains in its early stages and is currently approved for sale only in Singapore, the US, and Israel. Scaling production while maintaining food safety is a key challenge for the industry.