Established by the Food Standards Agency (FSA), in collaboration with Food Standards Scotland (FSS), it will work with companies that are working on cell-cultivated products for the UK market, where no such products have yet been approved.
The news comes just days after the first cultivated meat product was approved for sale in Australia by Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ).
The manufacturer, Vow, said its products are set to go on sale within weeks.
In the UK, the FSA and FSS have received a small number of applications for cell-cultivated foods, while in March it established a sandbox programme involving eight firms.
The new business support service will provide information and guidance to companies who are navigating the authorisation process for their products.
“The FSA’s role is to make sure all foods are safe before they are sold in UK,” commented Thomas Vincent, deputy director of sandbox and innovation at the FSA.
“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.
“By making it easier for companies to get things right from the start, we can support growth in the cell-cultivated product sector while giving consumers a wider choice of safe food.”
Using the new service, prospective cell-cultivated product applicants will be able to talk directly to the FSA/FSS team before submitting an application, ensuing that they are clear on essential requirements such as data collection, hazard identification and overall safety standards.
The service also provides structured support for businesses after their applications have been submitted, which means that businesses responding to Requests for Information (RFIs) can access additional guidance to help understand and address any gaps identified in their applications.
Cultivated meat has been legal to sell in parts of the US since 2023, as well as in Singapore.
