Japan Association for Cellular Agriculture (JACA)

Agriculture / Agribusiness

Webtalk: Rethinking Food – APAC as a Living Lab for the Future | update #15

The international business webtalk series ‘update’ discusses the most pressing issues of the ongoing protein transition. Based on the latest news, data, and facts, the future of the industry will be put forward and discussed with key market players in this series of talks. Rethinking Food – Singapore as a Living Lab for the Future August 21st, 10:30 AM Berlin | 4:30 PM Singapore | 5:30 PM Tokyo Alternative Protein and Novel food offer a powerful opportunity, not only to secure economic strength in the global food market, but also as a strategic path toward food security and greater independence. While debates continue in the European Union about how we may describe or label plant-based foods, alongside ongoing discussions on the regulation of novel foods, innovation appears to be deeply …

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Hoxton Farms

© Hoxton Farms
Cultivated, Cell-Cultured & Biotechnology

Hoxton Farms and Sumitomo Target Asia’s Health Crisis with Cultivated Pork Fat

Hoxton Farms and Sumitomo Corporation have formed a strategic partnership to bring Hoxton Fat, a cultivated pork fat, to the Asia-Pacific market. This collaboration will focus on addressing public health and food security challenges in the region through innovative food ingredients. The partnership with Sumitomo Corporation will leverage the latter’s expertise in agri-food and supply chain management to facilitate the introduction of Hoxton Fat to food manufacturers across Asia. The two companies will also work closely with food safety regulators, including the Japan Association for Cellular Agriculture (JACA), to ensure the ingredient meets regulatory standards prior to commercialization. Max Jamilly, CEO of Hoxton Farms, commented on the partnership: “Sumitomo’s established network and expertise are key to bringing our cultivated fat to Asia, where we see …

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Cultivated chicken on a small grill. Japan's government is making changes and transferring powers to different organizations to shift toward a more flexible approach to the novel food sector-

Cultivated chicken © Diverse Farm
Company News

JACA Unveils Blueprint for Cultivated Meat Safety & Regulation in Japan, Calls for Expert Feedback

The Japan Association for Cellular Agriculture (JACA) has released an extensive report, in English, analyzing international trends in the safety and regulatory assessment of cultivated meat. JACA, which works on policy-making to bring cell-based foods to the Japanese market, has plans to propose safety assessment criteria for Japanese regulatory authorities to continue building the country’s Novel Foods framework. With this report, the group is taking proactive steps to align Japan’s safety assessment criteria for cultivated foods with international standards, involve global experts in refining these criteria, and address the domestic shortage of knowledgeable food safety professionals. According to Megumi Avigail Yoshitomi, JACA’s Representative Director, the goal is to create a robust and harmonized regulatory framework that serves as a model for Japan and the global …

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New report shows 42% of Japanese consumers would try cultivated meat,

© APAC Society for Cellular Agriculture (APAC-SCA)
Cultivated, Cell-Cultured & Biotechnology

New Report Finds 42% of Japanese Consumers Would Try Cultivated Meat, While 58% Are Not Familiar with Cell-Based Foods

APAC Society for Cellular Agriculture (APAC-SCA) has released a new report revealing that 42% of Japanese consumers are open to trying cultivated meat or seafood products, “as long as they have been proven safe.”  The report Prospect of Cultivated Meat & Seafood in Japan was commissioned by APAC-SCA and analyzed by Akira Igata, Project Lecturer at the Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo and Director of the Japan Association for Cellular Agriculture (JACA). The researchers surveyed 1,000 Japanese consumers in May 2023, aiming to gain insights into their perceptions and behavioral trends related to cultivated meat and seafood.  A strong emphasis on safety The findings show that 44% of respondents considered the presence of Japanese government regulations as the most important factor …

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Megumi Avigail Yoshitomi

Megumi Avigail Yoshitomi © JACA
Cultivated, Cell-Cultured & Biotechnology

Japan Association for Cellular Agriculture: “Working to Achieve the Sale of Cultivated Meat in Japan from 2026”

Megumi Avigail Yoshitomi is the Representative Director of the Japan Association for Cellular Agriculture (JACA) and sits on an advisory board for the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry’s strategy to promote the biotechnology industry in Japan. Megumi was recognised by the Forbes Japan 30 Under 30 list in 2020 for her work in the field. The group works with a focus on policy-making in order to bring food products produced by cellular agriculture technology to the Japanese market. Please can you briefly introduce your organization? Japan Association for Cellular Agriculture (JACA) is a non-profit policy think tank based in Japan, focusing on policy-making to promote regulatory framework building and international collaborations around cellular agriculture. JACA communicates with ministries, politicians, existing meat industry players, consumer …

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Cultivated chicken on a small grill. Japan's government is making changes and transferring powers to different organizations to shift toward a more flexible approach to the novel food sector-

Cultivated chicken © Diverse Farm
Politics & Law

New Changes in Japan’s Approach to Cultivated Meat Regulation and Safety, PM Kishida to Play Key Role

The Japanese government is making changes and transferring powers to different organizations to shift toward a more flexible approach to the novel food sector, including cultivated meat, announces the Japan Association for Cellular Agriculture (JACA). As explained by the organization, the responsibilities for novel foods are carried by two separate bodies: the Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare (MHLW), which focuses on risk management and food hygiene, and the Food Safety Commission (FSC), which handles risk assessment.  While no specific laws exist to approve or ban the sale of cultivated meat in Japan, the MHLW currently holds authority over cultivated meat, providing legal clarity regarding the sale, manufacturing, and import procedures. However, when issuing official statements to the public regarding the safety of cultivated food, the MHLW …

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Cultivated chicken on a small grill. Japan's government is making changes and transferring powers to different organizations to shift toward a more flexible approach to the novel food sector-

Cultivated chicken © Diverse Farm
Cultivated Meat

New Changes in Japan’s Approach to Cultivated Meat Regulation and Safety, PM Kishida to Play Key Role

The Japanese government is making changes and transferring powers to different organizations to shift toward a more flexible approach to the novel food sector, including cultivated meat, announces the Japan Association for Cellular Agriculture (JACA). As explained by the organization, the responsibilities for novel foods are carried by two separate bodies: the Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare (MHLW), which focuses on risk management and food hygiene, and the Food Safety Commission (FSC), which handles risk assessment.  While no specific laws exist to approve or ban the sale of cultivated meat in Japan, the MHLW currently holds authority over cultivated meat, providing legal clarity regarding the sale, manufacturing, and import procedures. However, when issuing official statements to the public regarding the safety of cultivated food, the MHLW …

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foie gras - IntegriCulture

Fois gras © IntegriCulture
Cultivated, Cell-Cultured & Biotechnology

JACA Hosts Sensory Evaluation of 5 Cultivated Meats at Promotional Event in Tokyo

The Japan Association for Cellular Agriculture (JACA), a research group dedicated to cellular agriculture and cultivated food, recently hosted the first-ever promotional event for the industry in Tokyo.  In February 2023, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced that he would foster the development of the country’s cultivated food industry by promoting the sector and improving the market, including safety assurance measures, and developing labeling rules. To build a consensus on necessary measures for food safety requirements for cultivated food, JACA’s event gathered more than 150 stakeholders, government officials, and industry associations, among others. F&B key players included famous ham producer NH Foods, which recently expanded to the plant-based market with two alt seafood products and biotech company Ajinomoto, which collaborates with Israel’s SuperMeat.  Japan’s Wagyu According to the …

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