As a recently evolving technology in the food industry, cell-based meat faces some challenges. However, the most daunting of them all is regulatory approval. Cell-based meat companies have been making significant strides in ensuring that cell-cultured meat makes its entry into the global market.

One of the most remarkable successes recorded in recent times is the regulatory approval for the sale of cell-based meat in Singapore. While this is laudable, it is not enough progress. Nations like the United States and the United Kingdom, who are regarded as major forces in the global market have not yet approved cultured meat.

Japan and Israel seem to be following the steps of Singapore. Japan recently established a Center For Rule-Making Strategies to oversee all regulatory issues concerning novel foods. Israel has also been a strong support base for cell-based meat technology, with leading cultivated meat companies like Future Meat Technologies and Aleph Farms.

Funding, which could have been a major barrier is not, as cell-based meat has attracted different top-tier investors. So far, about $1 billion of investments have been poured into cell-based meat production.

Crucial Issues

In making their decisions on cell-cultured meat approval, the various cell-based meat regulatory bodies consider certain important issues.

Safety

The novelty of cell-based meat makes it important for regulatory bodies across the globe to carefully assess the safety of cultivated meat before approval. Certain criteria are used by the regulatory bodies to examine the safety of cell-based meat for human consumption. These assessment processes must be carefully followed through and may take some time.

Consumer Acceptance

The reaction of the potential consumers of cell-cultured meat across the world is still being assessed. A wide range of cultivated meat has not yet been established. This has held back the approval of cell-based meat for sale in many countries.

A Glance at Global Regulatory Frameworks

This section examines the different cell-based meat regulatory frameworks operating across countries in the world.

Singapore

The marked success recorded concerning cell-based meat regulatory issues was made possible by the Singapore Food Agency (SFA). It has a published guideline that reveals the requirements for lab-grown meat approval. These requirements were met by Eat Just in 2020, and by December of that year, the company was licensed to sell cultured meat in the country. The SFA has taken a step further by engaging other cell-based meat companies in the country in conversations aimed at getting their products into the Singapore food market.

European Union

Depending on whether tissue engineering or cell culture is employed in the production process, the Regulation on Genetically Modified Food and Feed, or Novel Foods Regulation guides cell-based meat production in the EU. Applications are made to the European Union Commission. The safety and nutritional value of the food product will then be assessed by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), and the results are reported to the European Union Commission. The final approval lies in the decision of a committee with representatives from all the EU member states. The process is rigorous and takes between one and a half to three years.

United States

The United States already has two existing regulatory bodies to oversee cell-based meat—the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Food and Drug Administration FDA. Both bodies work together to ensure that all the processes of cultured meat production follow safety guidelines. The FDA is solely in charge of seafood regulation except for catfish. In addition, it is responsible for monitoring all the basic levels of cell-based meat production from the selection of starter cells to collection from the bioreactors. On the other hand, the USDA is in charge of other processes from the point of collection.

United Kingdom

While the UK no longer adopts the EU’s food standards, not much difference exists between its regulatory framework for novel foods and that of the EU. As of the first half of 2021, cell-based meat companies who wanted their products in the UK market had to tender applications to the United Kingdom Food Standards Agency (FSA). However, a marked distinction between both regulatory processes is that the final regulatory approval will be done by the ministers in the UK, and in the EU it is dependent on a stressful and lengthy procedure by the committee involving all the EU member states.

Japan

The already existing cell-based meat regulatory framework is robust enough depending on how it is produced. Nevertheless, Japan is looking at developing a more specific regulatory framework that would be targeted at securing safety, consumer acceptance and as well, foster the ease of market entry for cultured meat. Various groups are being set up to put necessary standards in place and work on promoting consumer acceptance of cell-based meat.

A positive step in this direction is the establishment of Food Tech Research Group by Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture. The goal is to adopt technology in the development of the food industry.

Canada

In Canada, the process of obtaining approval requires the submission of certain information about cell-based food to Canada’s Food Directorate. There are three levels of approval required. These approvals are all important as they assess important factors like the suitability of cultured meat for consumption by humans and the environmental sustainability of cell-based meat. The information to be provided about the cell-based meat product also depends on the method of production.

Australia-New Zealand

In both countries, Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) regulates cell-based meat products. The body has guidelines in place for all the processes involved in food production and marketing.  Cultivated meat companies who want to sell their products in any of the two countries have to apply to have their names listed as approved novel foods. The process takes a little over one year, and the goal is to ensure that the cell-based meat products are safe for consumption.

Conclusion

While there are different regulatory frameworks for cell-based meat production across the globe, the goal is to ensure that lab-grown meat is certified safe for humans and the environment before making entry into the global market.