Embedded bioprinting enables precise fabrication of cultured meat with authentic structural properties

Cultured meat has emerged as a promising alternative to conventional meat, offering potential solutions to environmental, ethical, and health-related concerns. However, current technologies often yield unstructured products like minced meat, falling short of replicating the complex architecture and marbling of natural cuts, which are the key factors for consumer acceptance. This study utilizes a hybrid fabrication approach combining casting and embedded 3D bioprinting to produce cultured meat with complex structured architectures, leading to improvements in both print quality and efficiency. Muscle tissue, the main structural component, was first cast using a hydrogel-cell mixture, followed by precise deposition of adipocytes to create intricate fat structures. We demonstrate that this method incorporated with alginate hydrogel was compatible with chicken and pork cell types. It enabled the production of artificial cultured meat resembling pork, beef, and fish. To replicate the natural structure of meat, we used micro-computed tomography (μCT) to capture the fine architecture of a pork steak. A computational algorithm then segmented muscle and fat regions for obtaining their 3D models, allowing the fabrication of a negative mold for casting muscle portion and the acquisition of deposition paths for embedded bioprinting fat component. Oil-emulsion food dyes were employed to replicate the natural coloration of meat. The resulting cultured meat closely mimicked the structural complexity of its natural counterpart. By recreating the appearance of conventional meat, this approach has the potential to enhance consumer acceptance and facilitate the transition to more sustainable and ethical meat alternatives. • Hybrid casting and embedded bioprinting fabricate 3D structured cultured meat • Optimized 2 % alginate hydrogel enables efficient casting and high-fidelity printing • Alginate bioink supports chicken and porcine cell viability and lipid accumulation • Printed pork, beef, fish, and steak constructs mimic natural meat architectures • μCT imaging and segmentation model muscle and fat to reproduce precise marbling