Cultured meat (CM) is currently experiencing a surge in popularity, primarily due to its promise to produce animal-based products with a lower environmental impact and a higher level of animal welfare. Although CM production remains limited and lacks pre-market approval (except for Singapore and the USA), recent technological advancements have been notable. A greater number of stakeholders, including biotechnology companies, start-ups, private investors, NGOs and big agrifood companies, are entering the CM value chain. This paper aims to aggregate, synthesize, and analyze existing studies on the CM value chain to highlight the characteristics, methodologies, and topics they address. Our secondary purpose is to analyze elements emerging in terms of global value chain dynamics. To do so, this study applies a conceptual framework based on the interplay of the Entrepreneurial Ecosystem and global value chain frameworks. This systematic literature review identifies 43 studies and shows that the most addressed topics are regulations on pre-market approval and labelling, technological progress, the use of patents, the availability and sources of funding, and actors’ roles in the CM market. The analysis and discussion of these findings highlight key aspects of the CM global value chain and present further areas of research to investigate the governance of the chain.

Alternative proteins (APs) have the potential to contribute to the sustainable transition of food systems. This study aims to assess the current stage of development of the alternative protein industry, identifying factors, both barriers and enablers, that influence business growth. The analysis adopts a systematic literature review, following the PRISMA guidelines, identifying 50 studies. The S-curve model is then applied as an analytical tool to determine the development stage of the AP industry concerning plant-based, insect, and algae segments. The application of the S-curve provides a perspective on the evolution of innovative business such as AP. The results reveal significant differences in the maturity of the AP industry. The plant-based one is the most advanced, characterized by strong market organization and collaborations, despite challenges such as price competitiveness. The algae industry is promising due to its versatility, yet it is hindered due to production costs and unstable demand. Insects face the greatest barriers, including consumer acceptance and ethical concerns. The study emphasizes the importance of creating business strategies suited to each AP source to transform barriers into opportunities. This review contributes to the literature by comparing the unique peculiarities of the AP industry and providing insights from a cross-analysis of plant-based, algae, and insect development stages.

Purpose: This study aims to examine retailer assortment decisions within the plant-based analogues (PBA) category by analyzing how product characteristics reflect assortment decisions in European online markets. In addition, it seeks to identify patterns in commercialization practices as conveyed through product claims and information on online retailers’ websites. Design/methodology/approach: Through online store audits, 748 plant-based products were collected across 17 online retailers in 5 European countries. The dataset includes detailed information on product format, ingredients, nutritional value, price, claims, cooking instructions and visual package elements. Data elaboration includes descriptive statistics, factor analysis and cluster analysis. Findings: Results suggest that retailers offer standardized PBA assortments across countries, while identifying distinct commercialization patterns to promote these products. These patterns primarily emphasize sustainability attributes, alignment with dietary lifestyle and a combination of health and taste attributes, appealing to different consumer targets. Practical implications: Retailers have considerable potential to expand their assortments by diversifying the brands they carry, investing in underrepresented segments such as fish analogues, and increasing recipe-level variety in terms of flavour profiles, culinary traditions and plant protein sources. Further opportunities lie in strengthening category management through more consistent pricing strategies and clearer, more harmonized product categorization. Originality/value: This study contributes to the literature by providing the first comprehensive, retailer-centred analysis of PBA assortment and commercialization patterns across EU online retailers, extending prior research beyond single-category and consumer-perception approaches. In doing so, it makes a significant contribution to the ongoing debate on plant-based alternatives as a rapidly growing food category and provides insights into how retail practices can support the protein transition.