FSA and FSS issue first safety guidance for lab-grown meat market

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) and Food Standards Scotland (FSS) have published the UK’s first safety guidance for cell-cultivated products, such as lab-grown meat, outlining how producers must demonstrate that animal-cell-derived foods meet existing food regulations.

Earlier this year, the regulator launched a pilot support service to help businesses developing cell-cultivated food navigate the authorisation process. The latest guidance continues that work, providing clarity on data requirements for companies seeking market entry.

Released under the Cell-Cultivated Product (CCP) Sandbox Programme, the first guidance confirms that foods developed from animal cells will be regulated as products of animal origin. This means manufacturers must apply established hygiene, traceability and safety controls throughout cultivation, processing and distribution.

A second document details how regulators will assess allergenicity and nutritional value, both of which will form core components of the approval pathway for lab-grown products.

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

Our new guidance provides clarity for businesses, helping them to understand and correctly demonstrate to UK food regulators how their products are safe. Specifically, this guidance ensures that companies have assessed potential allergenic risks and that they are nutritionally appropriate before they can be authorised for sale. Consumers can be reassured that these innovative new foods will meet the same rigorous safety standards as conventional foods.

The Sandbox programme is allowing us to fast-track regulatory knowledge to reduce barriers for emerging food technologies without compromising on safety standards.”

Lab-grown meat is produced by cultivating animal cells rather than rearing livestock. The CCP Sandbox Programme currently covers animal-cell derived products, with further phases expected to follow.

Supported by funding from the Department of Science and Technology (DSIT) through the Engineering Biology Sandbox Fund, the programme aims to streamline regulatory understanding while ensuring rigorous assessment.

With further guidance planned for 2026 and the FSA’s plans to complete safety assessments for two cultivated products by 2027, the arrival of commercially available lab-grown meat in the UK may soon become a reality.