Microalgae-Derived Omega-3 Fatty Acids Improve Nutritional and Flavor Profiles of Cultured Meat

Microalgae, with their high Omega-3 content, carbon sequestration potential, and non-requirement for conventional arable land, is a sustainable resource for improving the nutrition and flavour of cultured meat and may help resolve the conflict between traditional animal husbandry's environmental impacts and rising meet demand. Two aspects define microalgae's function: Microalgae-derived omega-3 fatty acids optimize beef's n-3/n-6 fatty acid ratio, improving its health. Activating metabolic pathways like PPARγ promotes adipocyte development and inhibits excessive fat production, enhancing meat structure. Microalgae's polyunsaturated fatty acids can form volatile flavour chemicals through lipid oxidation, adding taste and nutrition. Microalgae's polyunsaturated fatty acids create volatile taste molecules by lipid oxidation, and its free amino acids and reducing sugars can enhance the Maillard process, producing meat-specific aroma and flavour precursors. The potential cytotoxicity of concentrated microalgae extracts and the high cost and complexity of large-scale production remain hurdles. To overcome bottlenecks in toxicity control and large-scale production, efficient nutrient delivery systems (e.g., co-culture technology), gene editing to optimise cellular metabolic pathways, and mechanical stress modulation in the culture micro-environment are needed. Industrializing microalgae requires multidisciplinary technical integration to balance nutrition, flavour, and production viability.