Edible microcarrier for the preparation of cultured meat and method of producing same

An edible microcarrier for growing anchorage-dependent cells to prepare a cultured meat product, wherein said edible microcarrier comprises a microcarrier core and at least one microcarrier coating at least partially directly or indirectly covering the surface of said microcarrier core,

• wherein said microcarrier core is a hydrogel consisting of the following components:
• (A) 0.03-10.0 wt % of at least one ionically crosslinked polysaccharide;
• (B) 0.05-5 wt % of a mechanical stability agent different from (A), or, if component (A) at the same time acts as a mechanical stability agent, 0.0-5 wt % of a mechanical stability agent different from (A);
• (C) 0.0-10 wt % of additives different from (A) and (B);
• (D) 0.0-50 wt % living cells;
• (E) 75-99.92 wt % of water;
• the sum of (A)-(E) making up 100 wt %, and
• wherein said microcarrier coating comprises:
• a biopolymer, wherein the biopolymer is crosslinked using a crosslinking agent.