A novel scaffold platform for in situ lipid integration in cultivated meat

Journal article, 2026

Cultivated meat often lacks integrated fat, primarily because co-culturing muscle and fat cells is technologically challenging and because most scaffolds are designed without integrated fat. This limits texture, flavor, and mouthfeel, all key factors for palatability and consumer acceptance. In this study, we developed a novel scaffold incorporating structured oil into a gelatin hydrogel matrix at a 1:4 ratio, forming an oleogel-in-hydrogel (bigel) system. The oleogel phase was structured using 15 % monoacylglycerol and 8 % stearic acid in canola oil and formed an elongated crystalline fibers. The bigel scaffolds were stabilized with either 0.1 % w/w Tween-20 or 0.2 % w/w lecithin as emulsifiers, and produced hardness values ranging from 4.8 N to 7.9 N after overnight of soaking in DPBS buffer. Both scaffold types supported cell proliferation and differentiation; however, the 0.1 % Tween-20 scaffold produced significantly higher cell proliferation and differentiation into mature myotubes, indicating superior biocompatibility. Overall, this study highlights the potential of a bigel scaffold approach as a building block for whole-cut cultivated meats by combining in situ integration of lipids with tunable functional, textural, flavor, and nutritional properties for improved consumer acceptance.