Cultured beef may trigger stronger allergic reactions in individuals with existing meat allergies than conventional beef, despite containing fewer traditional protein allergens, according to a new study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry on Wednesday.
Researchers at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand compared the protein composition and allergenic potential of cells grown in a lab to that of a regular steak. The study, led by Laura Domigan and Renwick Dobson, found that while cultured muscle cells had similar protein compositions to each other, they differed significantly from conventional beef. Most identified allergenic proteins were at similar or lower levels in the cultured cells, with the exception of three proteins not currently classified as meat allergens by the World Health Organization.
These three proteins, however, did react with immunoglobulin E (IgE), suggesting they could potentially cause immune responses or allergic reactions in some individuals. Further experiments using blood samples from a small group of people with meat allergies showed lower IgE binding to both undigested and digested cultured cells compared to steak, aligning with the observed differences in allergen-related protein levels.
A more unexpected finding emerged when researchers tested blood samples from two individuals sensitive to alpha-gal, a sugar found in red meat that can cause an allergy after a bite from the lone star tick. The cultured beef cells triggered a significantly stronger immune response in these individuals than conventional beef. Researchers hypothesize this could be due to a higher presence of alpha-gal-modified proteins in the cultured cells.
“This study demonstrates that meat grown from cells can change in ways that matter for food allergies,” said Renwick Dobson, corresponding author of the research. “Our results demonstrate 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.”
The findings highlight the need for careful, targeted safety assessments as cultivated meat approaches commercialization. The research team plans to expand testing to include final cultivated meat products. Dobson emphasized the importance of collaboration between scientific, regulatory, and clinical teams to ensure the safety, sustainability, and public acceptance of cultivated meat. “Only through this ongoing collaboration can cultivated meat achieve its promise as a viable, responsible, and widely accepted alternative to conventional meat,” he stated.
