Good Food Institute Europe

Cultivated bacon on top of a burger

Image courtesy of Uncommon
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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oland's first cultivated meat startup, LabFarm, has received over PLN 9 million (around €2 million) from the National Centre for Research and Development.

© LabFarm
Studies & Numbers

Europe’s Cultivated Meat Market Could Create Up to €80Bn and 90,000 Jobs by 2050, But Key Investments & Policy Changes Critical

In collaboration with the Good Food Institute Europe, Systemiq Ltd. has analyzed current trends and data to estimate the future of cultivated meat and the economic, environmental, and health benefits it could bring to Europe. The analysis, released today in a new report, predicts that the global cultivated meat market could reach €170-510 billion by 2050. Meanwhile, the EU’s cultivated meat potential could deliver around €15-80 billion by 2050, directly creating 25-90,000 new jobs. However, this growth will only be possible if products achieve price and performance parity by 2035-40 and the sector overcomes current regulatory and political hurdles. The authors state, “Cultivated meat is still nascent, however it has the potential to bring us closer to reaching taste and texture parity with traditional meat and …

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Cultivated pork sausages

Image courtesy of Meatable
Cultivated Meat

Survey Finds EU Consumers Support Safe Cultivated Meat, Want the Freedom to Choose

A new survey on attitudes toward cultivated meat in Europe commissioned by the Good Food Institute Europe reveals that people across the continent believe consumers should be able to decide whether to eat or not cultivated meat after EU regulators deem it safe for consumption. The survey carried out by YouGov and touted as one of the largest “of its kind” ever conducted, polled over 16,000 consumers across 15 European countries: Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, and Sweden. Meanwhile, a separate poll focused on Austrian and German consumers. The findings show that participants in 13 countries favour its introduction into the market. For example, 69% in Portugal, 65% in Germany, 63% in both Austria (where agriculture …

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Valsoia Super Burger

© Valsoia
Meat- and Fish Alternatives

Majority of Italians Support Using ‘Meaty’ Terms in Plant-Based Products Labels

A new survey by YouGov on plant-based product labels in Italy, commissioned by the Good Food Institute Europe, reveals that 68% of Italian consumers believe companies should be able to use “meaty” terms freely for plant-based products. At the same time, 69% believe that terms like ‘hamburger’ and ‘milk’ are appropriate for describing plant-based products, and only 21% feel these terms should be restricted because they could confuse consumers. Francesca Gallelli, Public Affairs Consultant at the Good Food Institute Europe, shared, “Our survey confirms that consumers understand terms like plant-based sausage and ham and that the ban on meat-sounding terms does not introduce any necessary protections; on the contrary, it is bound to create confusion, complicating access to products that play a key role in diversifying …

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BENEO unveils innovations in plant-based beef alternatives

Image courtesy of BENEO
Studies & Numbers

Study: 65% of Germans in Favour of Cultivated Meat, 49% Want More Alternatives to Meat, Fish, Eggs & Dairy

A 2024 survey conducted in Germany by the research firm YouGov and the think tank Good Food Institute Europe has revealed a growing appetite among Germans for plant-based meat, plant-based dairy, and cultivated meat.  The survey, which engaged 2,105 participants aged 18 in a representative sample of the German population, however, uncovered that 58% of Germans consider that they eat too many animal products while 49% of the respondents think more alternatives to meat, fish, eggs, and dairy products should be available. Growing interest in alternatives Regarding a shift to plant-based diets, 46% of respondents indicated a desire to reduce their consumption of animal products over the next two years. Specifically, 30% said they want to consume more plant-based meat, while 27% showed interest in …

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Vegan cured ham by Biolab.

© Biolab
Politics & Law

Italy Signals Willingness to Revisit Plant-Based Labelling Restrictions Following Industry Feedback

Two days ago, France issued a decree prohibiting companies from using familiar food names such as ‘salami’ or ‘steak’ to protect consumers from confusing plant-based products with animal foods.  Italy passed a similar ban last November, also arguing that plant-based meat labels mislead and confuse consumers. Nonetheless, the government is open to reconsidering its restrictions (which are yet to be enforced) if they hurt Italian businesses.  As reported by local media, the government is negotiating with Unione Italian Food, which represents the plant-based food sector, to work together to reach a mutual agreement on how to label alternatives to meat. During previous talks, he emphasized that his goal is not to harm Italian companies but to balance business interests and consumer protection.  “We intended to open a discussion …

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Libre Foods bacon

© Libre Foods
Politics & Law

The Government of Catalonia Invests €12M in Open Access Facility for Alternative Proteins 

The government of Catalonia will invest €12 million in a pre-industrial facility to extract, produce, and develop alternative protein ingredients and foods. The facility, located in Alcarràs, Lleida, will provide open access, from R&D to pre-industrial manufacturing, for companies to validate their developments before mass production. As reported by local news, the complex will feature different production lines, including plant protein extraction, wet extrusion, and final product processing. It will also offer a dedicated precision fermentation facility and an analysis laboratory to help companies bring innovations to market. According to local media Aral, the facility will “open access to any of the hundreds of Spanish producers currently interested in developing innovative lines of alternative foods to meat.” The project is part of the Biohub Cat, an …

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A plate with sausages

© Ivy Farm

Politics & Law

UK Government Backs Cultivated Meat and Fermentation in Landmark £2 Billion Plan

The UK Government has unveiled its National Vision for Engineering Biology, a £2 billion plan to seize the potential of biotechnology to revolutionise food production, medical advancements, and sustainable fuel production. Over the next ten years, the government will fund the necessary activities and reforms to propel the country’s biotech ecosystem, which includes the cultivated meat and fermentation industry. The new strategy highlights these technologies as climate and food security solutions capable of “reducing pressure on land use for pasture.” The Minister for Science, Innovation and Research, Andrew Griffith, said: “Engineering biology is, in many ways, the future of science: using engineering to harness the power of nature to overhaul what is possible – from the treatment of disease to how we sustainably produce food …

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Montecitorio Palace, seat of Italian parliament

© Gabriele Maltinti-stock.adobe.com
Politics & Law

Italy Withdraws Controversial Bills to Ban Cultivated Meat & Restrict Plant-Based Meat Labels from EU Scrutiny 

According to the Good Food Institute Europe, the Italian government has withdrawn two draft laws from being considered by the European Union: the bill proposing a ban on the production and marketing of cultivated meat and a law to restrict the use of terms such as “salami” or “steak” in plant-based meat labels. The proposed bill to ban cell-based foods aims to “protect” the country’s culture and food heritage from technological innovations, and the labeling restrictions, as noted in the draft, are measures to “avoid misleading nutritional claims” by plant-based meat companies. Due to their potential impact on the region’s market, the European Commission and member states had to examine the draft laws before their adoption to assess their alignment with EU law, through a …

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Ivy Farm and Finnebrogue partner to bring cultivated Wagyu beef to the UK  

Image courtesy of Ivy Farm
Cultivated, Cell-Cultured & Biotechnology

Biotech Firms Awarded €1.2M for Creating Animal-Free Cell Culture Media to Make Cultivated Meat a “Commercial Reality”

Commercializing cell-based products such as cultivated meat remains challenging due to the substantial costs and ethical implications of fetal bovine serum. To find solutions, EIT Food, the world’s largest and most dynamic food innovation community, and the Good Food Institute (GFI) Europe launched the Cultivated Meat Innovation Challenge to develop a more affordable and efficient animal-free cell culture media. The winners, UK biotech company 3D Bio-Tissues and Israeli biotech startup BioBetter have received €1.2 million from EIT Food. With the funds, the companies will continue their R&D efforts in developing lower-cost alternatives to bovine serum. Moreover, they will produce cultivated meat products using their innovations.  Dr. Adam M. Adamek, director of innovation at EIT Food, said: “The cost of cell-culture media is a significant barrier to scaling …

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