The Takeuchi Laboratory at the University of Tokyo, which is working on developing cultivated steak meat, has revealed that free amino acids (FAAs)—key components in determining the flavor of cultivated meat—change through the processes of cell differentiation and aging. Notably, the study found that the FAA content significantly increases during the aging process.
The findings were published as a research letter in Food Chemistry on May 16, 2025, under the title “The effects of differentiation and aging on free amino acid profiles in cultured bovine muscle tissue.”
Free amino acids are amino acids not bound in proteins and directly influence the flavor of meat, contributing to umami, sweetness, and bitterness. According to the press release, although FAAs are deeply involved in meat flavor, little has been known about their behavior in cultivated meat. The differences in taste between cultivated and conventional meat and how to control them have remained unclear.
Through micro-scale analysis, the research team confirmed that FAA levels initially decreased during differentiation (the process by which cells develop specific functions) but were restored and even exceeded those in commercially available beef during aging (a process where proteins break down and FAAs accumulate while stored under low temperatures).
They further demonstrated that by adjusting the FAA concentration in the culture medium, the intracellular FAA composition changed, indicating the potential to “control flavor through cultivation conditions.”
Professor Shoji Takeuchi commented:
“What determines the flavor of cultivated meat? While many factors have been proposed, this study is an important step in showing that at least the cultivation environment can significantly influence flavor components.”
Flavor Enhancement Potential via Aging and Custom Media
According to the University of Tokyo, aging the differentiated bovine myoblasts at low temperatures for 4 to 14 days led to a significant increase in total intracellular FAA content. Compared to commercial beef (on a dry weight basis), even non-aged cultured cells had more than twice the FAA concentration.
During the aging process, a notable increase was observed in both bitter- and sweet-tasting amino acids.
Furthermore, when cells were cultured in custom media with FAA concentrations ranging from 0.1x to 5x, the increase in corresponding intracellular FAAs reflected the medium composition. In particular, the 5x concentration medium resulted in a marked increase in target amino acids. The most prominent result was observed in the medium enriched with bitter-tasting amino acids, suggesting that the intracellular FAA profile can be artificially manipulated by adjusting the medium composition.
This implies that by customizing cultivation conditions like a recipe, it may be possible to design specific flavor profiles—such as sweetness-dominant or umami-forward—paving the way for developing cultivated meat with “targeted flavor.”
The production process of cultivated meat broadly consists of two stages: cell proliferation and cell differentiation. The “aging” process described in this study follows these stages and involves storing the cultured tissue at low temperatures to promote protein breakdown and increase the concentration of FAAs that contribute to flavor. While aging requires refrigeration equipment, it could be introduced as a post-production step and may become an effective approach for enhancing the flavor of cultivated meat.
Until now, the focus of cultivated meat research has largely been on large-scale production technology. This study marks a move into the next phase: the development of flavor control technologies.
This article is an English translation of a Foovo article, published with permission from Foovo.
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Photo Credit:University of Tokyo
