Lab-grown meat, dairy, and sugar might soon be available to shoppers in the UK. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is speeding up its approval process for these innovative products, aiming to complete safety checks on a couple of them within the next two years.
Eight companies have been chosen to take part in the FSA’s “sandbox” program, which encourages collaboration and innovation. Among these are UK firms like Hoxton Farms, Roslin Technologies, and Uncommon Bio, alongside global players such as BlueNalu from the USA and Mosa Meat from the Netherlands.
This initiative recently received a boost with £1.6 million in funding from the Government’s Engineering Biology Sandbox Fund. This money will help develop the necessary rules for these products and speed up their journey to market.
Professor Robin May, the FSA’s Chief Scientific Advisor, stressed the importance of safety. He said that ensuring consumer safety is crucial as they explore new food options.
In 2020, Singapore led the way by approving the sale of cell-cultivated meat. The US followed suit in 2023, with Israel expected to join in 2024. Although the UK has been at the forefront of lab-grown food research, regulatory challenges have slowed down the introduction of these products. The FSA’s new approach aims to make the UK a leader in this exciting field.
Pioneering Pet Treats
While lab-grown food for humans hasn’t hit the shelves yet, pets are getting a taste. British company Meatly launched “Chick Bites,” dog treats made with cultivated chicken and plant-based ingredients. This marks the UK’s first retail sale of cultivated meat, available at Pets at Home in Brentford.
Meatly’s process involves growing chicken from a single cell sample taken from an egg, creating a sustainable food source without harming animals.
With the FSA streamlining its regulations, the UK food industry is on the brink of significant change. If all goes well, lab-grown foods could soon provide consumers with safer and more sustainable choices while showcasing the UK’s innovative spirit in the food sector.
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