Exploring Properties of Edible Hydrolyzed Collagen for 3D Food Printing of Scaffold for Biomanufacturing Cultivated Meat

Cultivated meat is being explored as one of the sustainable solutions, complementing traditional meat manufacturing to meet global demand. This paper presents the novel results of a 3D food printing process for scaffolds produced from edible hydrolyzed collagen intended for biomanufacturing cultivated meat. The hydrolyzed collagen ink is designed with combinatorial chemistries and post-printing freeze-dried to create scaffold constructs. Rheological properties of the ink for 3D food printing are studied. Variation in average pore size and pore morphology of the scaffold caused by changing collagen ink composition and freeze-drying conditions is analyzed. This novel study focuses on using commercially available food-grade ingredients for cultivated meat scaffolds. Results of this study are applied to explore the viability of edible hydrolyzed collagen scaffold biomanufacturing with appropriate pore morphology using 3D food printing and freeze-drying technique.