The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has started work on assessing the safety of lab-grown meat but only a minority of consumers seem to be willing to consume it.
A team of scientists and regulatory experts will work on the two-year program with academic bodies, the industry and trade organizations.
In 2024, the FSA and Food Standards Scotland (FSS) were awarded £1.6 million ($2.1 million) to launch a program for cell-cultivated products. The aim is to gather scientific evidence about cell-based products and how they are made, to help the agencies regulate these products.
While “cell-based,” “cultivated” and “cultured” are preferred terminologies, other terms such as “in vitro,” “artificial,” “fake,” “clean” and “lab-grown” have been used. Cell-based products are made without slaughter or traditional farming methods. Cells from plants or animals are grown in a controlled environment to make a food product.
“By prioritizing consumer safety and making sure new foods, like cell-based products are safe, we can support growth in innovative sectors. Our aim is to ultimately provide consumers with a wider choice of new food, while maintaining the highest safety standards,” said Professor Robin May, FSA chief scientific advisor.
Businesses participating in the program are Hoxton Farms, Roslin Technologies, and Uncommon Bio from the UK and BlueNalu from the United States. Gourmey and Vital Meat are both from France while Mosa Meat is from the Netherlands, and Vow is from Australia.
Academic partners include the Cellular Agriculture Manufacturing Hub (CARMA) led by the University of Bath, National Alternative Protein Innovation Centre (NAPIC), and the Bezos Centre for Sustainable Protein. The trade body representing industry is the Alternative Proteins Association and non-governmental organization The Good Food Institute Europe is also involved.
Consumers wary
FSA has published an evidence review that consolidated current evidence on consumer views of cell-based products.
This found only a minority of 16 to 41 percent of people are willing to consume cell-based meat in the UK. Willingness to eat it is lower than in the United States.
Willingness to consume cell-based meat in the UK has not significantly changed from 2022 to 2024. International evidence indicates that people who regularly consume plant-based meat are also more open to having cell-based meat.
Many people either think that cell-based meat should not be on sale in the UK in future or are unsure. Perceived concerns are more prevalent than perceived benefits.
Most people have concerns about cell-based meat, particularly about it being safe to eat and the impact on farmers. The majority of people are also unwilling to pay more for it than farmed meat. Concerns about safety and healthiness were underpinned by perceptions of the product being unnatural and a lack of scientific understanding.
Consumer awareness of allergens in cell-based meat and seafood was low.
People are generally unsure about whether regulation will prevent the sale of unsafe cell-based meat but they expect them to be regulated and have clear labeling.
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Stephan is the sports journalist for the Maple Grove Report.
