Food Standards Agency (FSA)

Cultivated bacon on top of a burger

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Politics & Law

UK Invests £1.6 Million in Europe’s First Regulatory Sandbox to Fast-Track Cultivated Meat Approvals

The UK government’s Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) has announced £1.6 million in funding for a regulatory “sandbox” within the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and Food Standards Scotland (FSS), specifically for cultivated meat and seafood. Claimed as Europe’s first, the sandbox aims to accelerate the authorization process for these novel proteins. Cultivated meat must undergo a comprehensive food safety assessment in alignment with the UK’s existing regulatory framework for novel foods and must be authorized by ministers before becoming publicly available. The sandbox aims to boost regulators’ scientific knowledge of cultivated meat, develop detailed guidance, and provide pre-submission consultations to companies to streamline approval timelines while maintaining safety standards. It will also review hygiene in production facilities, labeling, and nomenclature. Other initiatives, approvals, …

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Cultivated, Cell-Cultured & Biotechnology

The UK’s Food Standards Agency Agrees on Reforms to Streamline Approval Process for Novel Foods

The UK’s Food Standards Agency (FSA) is set to modernise its regulatory procedure for cultivated meat and precision fermentation-derived foods to remove unnecessary delays in bringing these products to market.  At a recent board meeting, the FSA agreed upon new reforms that will apply to ‘regulated products,’ which include different food and feed products such as flavorings, genetically modified organisms (GMOs), and novel foods (foods that have no history of consumption).  Streamlining the process One of the fundamental changes proposed by the FSA is the creation of a new public register of regulated products to streamline the process of approving new products for the market. As explained by the Good Food Institute Europe, currently, a Statutory Instrument must be presented before a new product can …

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Politics & Law

UK Food Standards Agency Unveils New Guidance on Authorisation Process for Cell-Cultivated Products in Great Britain

The UK’s Food Standards Agency (FSA) has recently released guidance for businesses on cell-cultivated products and the authorisation process to market these products in Great Britain.  The FSA is responsible for food safety and food hygiene in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. However, this guide is specific to England and Wales.  The FSA’s new guidance combines general food law regulations with novel food and GMO regulations and offers business advice to streamline the authorisation process. It includes definitions, status, application details, and recommendations on product safety, labelling, and tasting trials. The UK government has been looking to streamline the approval for cultivated meat to boost food security and sustainability. Meanwhile, the first cultivated meat product on the market is still pending in the UK. To …

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