Over a decade of research on media for cultured meat and seafood production has resulted in multiple highly efficient serum-free and chemically defined formulations for some species, but it has also identified challenges yet to be solved—especially for aquatic cell lines. Depending on the product and cell type, the approach to develop highly efficient, sustainable, and low-priced media can diverge greatly. In this review, we provide an in-depth overview of this complex research area to facilitate strategic decision-making for stakeholders. We evaluate the advantages and limitations of utilizing hydrolysates, growth factor mutants, growth factor alternatives, and stabilizers in serum-free media formulations published for cultured meat production, as well as ongoing research efforts on developing adequate media for cultured seafood. We critically analyze strategies aimed at reducing medium costs and enhancing sustainability of cultured meat and seafood production, including their food-compatibility assessment. We summarize topics that require further exploration, such as identification of species-specific growth factors—particularly for aquatic species; exploration of hydrolysates as a substitute for basal medium; waste medium recycling strategies; and the potential application of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) technologies to enhance these areas. Additionally, we consider possible emerging regulatory issues and their impact on media formulation development. Finally, key performance indicators for media formulations are proposed to guide future strategic and operational improvements regarding an economical and sustainable production process.

The production of cultured meat will require large quantities of cell culture medium, presenting challenges related to high costs and limited sustainability of both protein-based components and other ingredients of the basal medium. To date, most research has focused on substituting and optimizing protein-based medium components, leading to significant progress in reducing costs associated with growth factors and serum albumin. However, the basal medium—containing amino acids, vitamins, carbon sources, and microelements—is equally essential. While some efforts have been made to optimize its composition, the environmental impact of using chemically fully defined mixtures remains considerable, and cost reductions are challenging. In this study, we introduce a novel approach to basal medium production by utilizing a mixture of partially hydrolyzed plant and yeast biomass. Our results demonstrate that hydrolysate-based basal medium (HBBM) performs comparably to chemically fully defined basal medium during proliferation and differentiation of bovine satellite cells. Furthermore, a comparative life cycle assessment was performed to explore the environmental impacts of replacing chemically fully defined medium with HBBM. The analysis showed potential reduction in environmental impacts, highlighting the relevance of basal medium formulation as a key element to influence ecological sustainability.