Abstract
Adipose tissue is a principal source of texture, flavor, and aroma in meat products. Higher fat content corresponds to higher juiciness, tenderness and overall palatability of meat products, making it a key component of cultivated meat. Our previous study investigated the aromatic characteristics of cultivated pork fat tissue, finding comparable consumer panel hedonic scores between conventional livestock derived and cultivated pork fats. Further research was pursued to characterize if adipogenic differentiation of the cells is required to enhance the flavor of cultivated fat. While differentiation of cultivated cells results in tissues that more closely resemble the morphology of livestock-derived tissue, the process substantially increases production timelines and material costs associated with cultivated meat production. As a result, we observed changes in organoleptic and nutritional properties of cultivated pork fat cells associated with differentiation of porcine dedifferentiated fat (PDFAT) cells. We assessed the effect of varying degrees of adipogenesis with soybean oil supplementation on fat content, composition, and volatile compound formation. Notably, we observed the concentrations of 2-pentylfuran, 2-heptanone, hexanal and (E)-2-octenal increased compared to the undifferentiated preadipocytes. These compounds, along with other ketones, aldehydes, alcohol and lactone molecules, contribute to fruity, herbal, and fatty aromas. Additionally, these results were achieved without requiring the maximum differentiation time frame of 12 days in culture. These findings emphasize the importance of adipocyte differentiation in cultivated fat production and highlight its potential as a strategy for optimizing both flavor and nutritional attributes of cultivated meat.