Nowadays, the food industry is facing challenges due to the simultaneous rise in global warming, population, and food consumption. As the integration of synthetic biology and food science, novel synthetic foods have obtained high attention to address these issues. However, these novel foods may cause potential risks related to human health. Four types of novel synthetic foods, including plant-based foods, cultured meat, fermented foods, and microalgae-based foods, were reviewed in the study. The original food sources, consumer acceptance, advantages and disadvantages of these foods were discussed. Furthermore, potential risk factors, such as nutritional, biological, and chemical risk factors, associated with these foods were described and analyzed. Additionally, the current detection methods (e.g., enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, biosensors, chromatography, polymerase chain reaction, isothermal amplification, and microfluidic technology) and processing technologies (e.g., microwave treatment, ohmic heating, steam explosion, high hydrostatic pressure, ultrasound, cold plasma, and supercritical carbon dioxide) were reviewed and discussed critically. Nonetheless, it is crucial to continue innovating and developing new detection and processing technologies to effectively evaluate these novel synthetic foods and ensure their safety. Finally, approaches to enhance the quality of these foods were briefly presented. It will provide insights into the development and management of novel synthetic foods for food industry.

Growth factors are commonly added to cell culture media in cellular agriculture to mimic the endogenous process of proliferation and differentiation of cells. Many of these growth factors are endogenous to humans and known to be present in the edible tissues and milk of food animals. However, there is little or no information on the use of growth factors intentionally added in food production before the advent of cultivated meat. Ten commonly used growth factors have been reviewed to include information on their mode of action, bioavailability, occurrence in food and food animals, endogenous levels in humans, as well as exposure and toxicological information drawn from relevant animal studies and human clinical trials with a focus on oral exposure. In addition, a comparison of homology of growth factors was done to compare the sequence homology of growth factors from humans and domestic animal species commonly consumed as food, such as bovine, porcine, and poultry. This information has been gathered as the starting point to determine the safety of use of growth factors in cultivated meat meant for human consumption. The change in levels of growth factors measured in human milk and bovine milk after pasteurization and high-temperature treatment is discussed to give an indication of how commercial food processing can affect the levels of growth factors in food. The concept of substantial equivalence is also discussed together with a conservative exposure estimation. More work on how to integrate in silico assessments into the routine safety assessment of growth factors is needed.

3D printing is an additive manufacturing technology that locates constructed models with computer-controlled printing equipment. To achieve high-quality printing, the requirements on rheological properties of raw materials are extremely restrictive. Given the special structure and high modifiability under external physicochemical factors, the rheological properties of proteins can be easily adjusted to suitable properties for 3D printing. Although protein has great potential as a printing material, there are many challenges in the actual printing process. This review summarizes the technical considerations for protein-based ink 3D printing. The physicochemical factors used to enhance the printing adaptability of protein inks are discussed. The post-processing methods for improving the quality of 3D structures are described, and the application and problems of fourth dimension (4D) printing are illustrated. The prospects of 3D printing in protein manufacturing are presented to support its application in food and cultured meat. The native structure and physicochemical factors of proteins are closely related to their rheological properties, which directly link with their adaptability for 3D printing. Printing parameters include extrusion pressure, printing speed, printing temperature, nozzle diameter, filling mode, and density, which significantly affect the precision and stability of the 3D structure. Post-processing can improve the stability and quality of 3D structures. 4D design can enrich the sensory quality of the structure. 3D-printed protein products can meet consumer needs for nutritional or cultured meat alternatives.

As the global population grows, we need a stable protein supply to meet the demands. Although plant-derived protein sources are widely available, animal meat maintains its popularity as a high-quality and savory protein source. Recently, cultured meat, also known as in vitro meat, has been suggested as a meat analog produced through in vitro cell culture technology. Cultured meat has several advantages over conventional meat, such as environmental protection, disease prevention, and animal welfare. However, cultured meat manufacturing is an emerging technology; thus, its further and dynamic development would be pivotal. Commercialization of cultured meat to the public will take a long time but cultured meat undoubtedly will come to our table someday. Here, we discuss the social and economic aspects of cultured meat production as well as the recent technical advances in cultured meat technology.

To satisfy the increasing demand for food by the growing human population, cultured meat (also called in vitro, artificial or lab-grown meat) is presented by its advocates as a good alternative for consumers who want to be more responsible but do not wish to change their diet. This review aims to update the current knowledge on this subject by focusing on recent publications and issues not well described previously. The main conclusion is that no major advances were observed despite many new publications. Indeed, in terms of technical issues, research is still required to optimize cell culture methodology. It is also almost impossible to reproduce the diversity of meats derived from various species, breeds and cuts. Although these are not yet known, we speculated on the potential health benefits and drawbacks of cultured meat. Unlike conventional meat, cultured muscle cells may be safer, without any adjacent digestive organs. On the other hand, with this high level of cell multiplication, some dysregulation is likely as happens in cancer cells. Likewise, the control of its nutritional composition is still unclear, especially for micronutrients and iron. Regarding environmental issues, the potential advantages of cultured meat for greenhouse gas emissions are a matter of controversy, although less land will be used compared to livestock, ruminants in particular. However, more criteria need to be taken into account for a comparison with current meat production. Cultured meat will have to compete with other meat substitutes, especially plant-based alternatives. Consumer acceptance will be strongly influenced by many factors and consumers seem to dislike unnatural food. Ethically, cultured meat aims to use considerably fewer animals than conventional livestock farming. However, some animals will still have to be reared to harvest cells for the production of in vitro meat. Finally, we discussed in this review the nebulous status of cultured meat from a religious point of view. Indeed, religious authorities are still debating the question of whether in vitro meat is Kosher or Halal (e.g., compliant with Jewish or Islamic dietary laws).