FSA launches support service for UK cultivated meat companies

The UK’s Food Standards Agency (FSA) and Food Standards Scotland (FSS) have launched a new pilot support service aimed at helping businesses developing cell-cultivated food products navigate the market authorisation process. With the cultivated meat sector expanding globally, the scheme is designed to assist innovators producing foods such as lab-grown chicken fillets and beef burgers derived from animal cells.

The support service will guide companies through the regulatory process required to sell their products in the UK, ensuring they meet the country’s rigorous safety standards.

Thomas Vincent, Deputy Director of Sandbox and Innovation at the FSA, said:

The FSA’s role is to make sure all foods are safe before they are sold in the UK.

As cell-cultivated products are now being developed in new and innovative ways, it’s vital they continue to meet our high safety standards. This new service will help businesses understand what is needed to prove their products are safe, and guide them through the authorisation process.”

The pilot scheme allows businesses to engage directly with FSA and FSS teams before submitting an application, offering guidance on data collection, hazard identification and safety validation. Post-submission, companies can access structured support to help them respond to Requests for Information (RFIs) and address any regulatory gaps.

As part of the initiative, the agencies will also collect evidence on emerging technologies in the cultivated food space. This will feed into a more informed and efficient authorisation pathway as the sector matures.

The FSA has signalled its intention to extend the pilot service to producers of precision-fermented foods in the near future. These include products like milk proteins and enzyme-based ingredients made using microorganisms, techniques with potential applications across the dairy and food ingredient sectors.

Positioning the UK as a cultivated food innovation hub

The move builds on a series of steps the FSA has taken to position the UK as a hub for cultivated food innovation. Back in March, the agency announced its aim to complete safety assessments for two cell-cultivated products by 2027. As part of this effort, the FSA selected eight companies, including UK firms Hoxton Farms, Roslin Technologies and Uncommon Bio, for its regulatory sandbox, supported by £1.6 million from the Government’s Engineering Biology Sandbox Fund.

These UK companies are working alongside international players including BlueNalu (USA), Mosa Meat (Netherlands), Gourmey and Vital Meat (France), and Vow (Australia). The collaborative initiative seeks to refine and accelerate regulatory approval processes, potentially giving UK firms an edge in a highly competitive global market.

Although the UK has made significant scientific advances in the cultivated protein space, regulatory delays have slowed commercialisation. So far, only one cultivated meat product developed by Meatly has gained UK approval, and only for use in pet food.

In contrast, global counterparts have already moved ahead. Singapore approved the first cultivated meat product in 2020, followed by the US in 2023 and Israel in early 2024. This month, Australia became the latest market to give the green light, enabling Sydney-based Vow to launch its quail product domestically.

By streamlining its authorisation processes, the FSA hopes to close this gap and ensure consumers have access to safe, innovative food options in the years to come.

More information on the business support service, including how to submit a Pre-Submission Enquiry Form (PSEF), the types of support available and guidance on preparing a dossier, is available on the FSA website.