Hazard identification: Identification of hazards in meat products manufactured from cultured animal cells

Background

Cultivated (or cultured) meat is animal meat grown from cells, without killing animals. It uses the same biological process as in animals, but in controlled production facilities.

There is interest from consumers and industry on the potential for cultured meat to provide new sustainable and nutritious sources of protein for the UK diet. This report is intended to help those developing the technology to consider the potential sources of hazard so these can be managed. This will also support businesses in doing the right thing in providing the information needed when applying for approval as a regulated product.

The FSA and Food Standards Scotland (FSS) are responsible for assessing food and animal feed safety in the UK. Businesses interested in selling cultivated meat in Great Britain (GB) must apply for authorisation through our regulated products process. A business wanting to sell cultivated meat in Northern Ireland should follow the EU authorisation process. As part of the authorisation process, products undergo a rigorous scientific risk assessment before they could be sold.

The purpose of this report is to identify the hazards in the cultivated meat production process to inform our risk assessment process for authorising these products. At the time of publication (March 2023), there are no cultivated meat products authorised for sale on the GB market. As well as assisting us in our risk assessment, this report will also be of interest to any business interested in applying for authorisation for cultivated meat products in GB.

Report

Identification of hazards in meat products manufactured from cultured animal cells: executive summary | Food Standards Agency (HTML version)