Dried food products formed from cultured muscle cells
Dehydrated, edible, high-protein food products formed of cultured muscle cells that are combined (e.g., mixed) with a hydrogel (e.g., a plant-derived polysaccharide) are described. These food products may be formed into a chip (e.g., snack chip), that has a protein content of greater than 50%. One or more flavorants may also be included.
1. A method of forming an edible snack chip, the method comprising:
culturing muscles cells;
combining the cultured muscle cells and plant-derived polysaccharide-based hydrogel to form a mixture; and
dehydrating the mixture to form an edible sheet of material;
wherein the cultured muscle cells are combined with the plant-derived polysaccharide-based hydrogel and allowed to set immediately before dehydrating.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising adding a flavorant.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein culturing comprises culturing the muscle cells with an edible microcarrier onto which the cultured muscle cells are grown.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein combining comprises adding a flavorant to the mixture of muscle cells and plant-derived polysaccharide-based hydrogel.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein combining comprises combining one or more of cultured skeletal myocytes, satellite cells, smooth myocytes, and cardiac myocytes with the plant-derived polysaccharide-based hydrogel to form the mixture.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein combining comprises combining cultured muscle cells and plant-derived polysaccharide-based hydrogel, and a calcium chloride solution and allowing the plant-derived polysaccharide-based hydrogel to gel.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein combining comprises combining cultured muscle cells and plant-derived polysaccharide-based hydrogel, flavorant and a calcium chloride solution.
8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising harvesting the cultured cells from a tissue culture chamber and washing the cells before combining with the plant-derived polysaccharide-based hydrogel.
9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising spreading the mixture onto a surface and allowing the mixture to gel before dehydrating.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein dehydrating comprises dehydrating the mixture to form a brittle chip.
11. The method of claim 1 , further wherein dehydrating the mixture comprises dehydrating the mixture to form the edible snack chip having a thickness of between about 0.1 mm and 10 mm.
12. A method of forming an edible snack chip, the method comprising:
combining cultured muscle cells and plant-derived polysaccharide-based hydrogel to form a mixture;
spreading the mixture onto a surface;
allowing the mixture to set; and
dehydrating the mixture to form a chip, wherein the cultured muscle cells are combined with the plant-derived polysaccharide and allowed to set immediately before hydrating.
13. A method of forming an edible snack chip, the method comprising:
culturing muscle cells;
combining the cultured muscle cells and a plant-derived polysaccharide-based hydrogel to form a mixture;
spreading the mixture onto a surface;
allowing the mixture to set; and
dehydrating the mixture to form a chip having a thickness of between about 0.1 mm and 10 mm,
wherein the cultured muscle cells are combined with the plant-derived polysaccharide and allowed to set immediately before dehydrating.