Last Chance for Cultivated Meat Companies to Complete UK Regulatory Survey – vegconomist

A survey inviting cultivated meat companies to provide evidence regarding the future regulatory approval of cultivated products in the UK is set to close on Wednesday (February 14).

Conducted by the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA), the survey is open to all cultivated meat companies worldwide and aims to determine when future applications for regulatory approval may be made. It also asks what technologies are used, and gives companies an opportunity to explain what would help them to better understand the regulatory process. The survey takes an estimated ten minutes to complete.

No cultivated meat products have yet been approved for sale in the UK, but at least one company — Ivy Farm — has reportedly been told to expect approval by the end of the year.

“Your responses to this survey will be invaluable in helping us develop our regulatory policy, so please provide the information you believe we should know to develop informed, proportionate regulation,” says the FSA survey.

Streamlined regulatory process

There have been indications for some time that the UK government is looking to streamline the approvals process for cultivated meat, with the aim of improving food security and sustainability. The government is also keen to promote this as a benefit of Brexit, since the UK no longer needs to comply with EU novel foods regulations.

In November, the FSA launched guidance for businesses producing cultivated products, combining general food laws with novel foods and GMO regulations. The guidance also includes advice to speed up the regulatory approval process.

”We are currently considering future changes to the regulated products approval process across all regimes, and we will be discussing this reform further at our March Board meeting,” said Natasha Smith, Deputy Director of Food Policy at the FSA. “We continue to engage with the cell-cultivated products industry to gain their insights about how to best manage applications and to set expectations about the approval process, including timelines and the type of information that applicants should provide when submitting a product dossier.”