The Food Standards Agency (FSA) and Food Standards Scotland (FSS) have collaborated to publish four new pieces of guidance for businesses developing cell-cultivated products, including 'lab-grown meat', and other novel foods. These documents aim to provide regulatory clarity and support the development of innovative food technologies in the UK.
The Cell-Cultivated Products Sandbox Programme has been instrumental in producing these guidelines, which focus on animal cells only. The programme complements the market authorisation process by bringing together regulators and industry experts to develop a shared understanding of how food regulations apply to cell-cultivated products.
The published guidance includes:
- Food business hygiene requirements for cell-cultivated products: guidance on applying General Food Law and Hygiene Regulations
- Supplementary guidance on identity, production, and microbiology: detailed scientific requirements for evaluating cell-cultivated products
- Improving your cell-cultivated product application: practical recommendations to help businesses prepare stronger applications for market authorisation
- Novel food taste trials supplementary information: additional guidance on conducting taste trials of novel foods
The FSA and FSS have emphasized that the primary goal of this guidance is to ensure consumer safety while providing businesses with the necessary clarity to invest in emerging technologies.