Vow

Vow cultivated quail foie gras

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Approvals

Vow’s Cultivated Quail Receives Approval From Food Standards Australia New Zealand

Australian cultivated meat company Vow is one step closer to launching cultivated quail in its home country after the product received approval from Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ). FSANZ completed a first round of statutory public consultation regarding the cultivated quail in February 2024, receiving 40 submissions and one late comment. After considering the feedback and reviewing the evidence, FSANZ undertook a second round of statutory public consultation between November 12 2024 and January 12 2025. The organization sought submissions on two new draft standards, one new draft schedule, and draft consequential variations to other provisions of the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code. 22 submissions were received. FSANZ approved the draft standards, schedule, and other variations with some amendments on March 26, before …

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BlueNalu yellowtail

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Cultivated, Cell-Cultured & Biotechnology

Eight Companies Selected for UK’s First Cell-Cultivated Food Safety Programme

The UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) has selected eight companies to participate in a two-year regulatory programme focused on evaluating the safety of cell-cultivated products (CCPs). The initiative is funded by the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology’s Engineering Biology Sandbox Fund and will involve collaboration with academic institutions and industry representatives. The programme is designed to gather scientific evidence on the production and safety of CCPs, which will inform the regulatory framework overseen by the FSA and Food Standards Scotland (FSS). The data collected is expected to support more efficient assessments of CCP applications. As part of the initiative, the FSA has committed to conducting full safety evaluations of two CCPs during the two-year period. Science Minister Lord Vallance stated, “By supporting the safe …

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Cultivated meat in Australiav George Peppou, CEO, Matt Kean, NSW Treasurer, Tim Noakesmith, Cofounder

George Peppou (left) Matt Kean, and Tim Noakesmith (right) © Vow
Company News

Vow Reduces Workforce by One-Third as It Seeks Fresh Investment Amid Regulatory and Market Challenges

Sydney-based cultivated meat startup Vow has announced the layoff of 25 employees, accounting for nearly a third of its workforce, as the company seeks to secure new funding to extend its operational runway into 2027. Startup Daily reports that the redundancies, described as a “painful but necessary decision” by CEO George Peppou, reflect the broader challenges faced by startups operating in the cultivated meat sector, which requires navigating complex regulatory landscapes and securing investor confidence in a tightening funding environment. Despite its growing international footprint, Vow has yet to receive regulatory approval to serve its products in its home market of Australia. The company submitted its application to Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) in 2023, with FSANZ launching a second round of public consultation …

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Vow cultivated quail foie gras

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Company News

Vow’s Quail-Based ‘Forged Gras’ Launch Marks First Cultivated Meat Sale in Hong Kong

Australian cultivated meat company Vow has unveiled Forged Gras, a cultivated alternative to the luxury delicacy foie gras. Derived from Japanese quail cells, Forged Gras is now available in Hong Kong, marking the first commercial sale of cultivated meat in the region. The launch solidifies Vow’s status as the first company to sell multiple cultivated meat products across multiple markets, following the debut of its Forged Parfait in Singapore earlier this year. Unlike traditional foie gras, which has faced widespread bans due to ethical and environmental concerns, Forged Gras offers a reimagined version of the dish. Created without animal slaughter, the product mimics the fatty liver’s rich texture while introducing a subtle, gamey flavor profile unique to quail. George Peppou, Vow’s CEO, explained the company’s …

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GOOD Meat - Image courtesy of GFI
Cultivated, Cell-Cultured & Biotechnology

Cultivated Meat: Approvals and Prohibitions Since Singapore’s Pioneering Step in 2020

Since Singapore became the first country to approve cultivated meat in 2020, a favorable regulatory environment has been growing in some nations while others have opted to ban the technology. Currently, worldwide, 174 companies are developing cultivated meat from cells, rather than farming animals or fishing. This milestone signifies a major achievement for an emerging industry that has had to build practically everything from the bottom up. Today’s summary highlights the world’s cultivated meat approvals and the latest submissions from companies eager to offer consumers new cultivated products. Singapore Cultivated chicken Singapore pioneered the approval of cultivated meat with GOOD Meat‘s chicken in 2020. Since then, the product, a mix of 70% meat made from chicken cells and plant ingredients, has been cooked by chefs and served in fine …

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Australian cultivated meat company Vow announces that it has secured regulatory approval from the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) to produce and sell its first product, cultivated quail.

Vow's cultivated quail product, Image courtesy of Vow
Company News

Vow Receives Regulatory Approval to Launch “World-First” Cultivated Quail Product in Singapore

Australian cultivated meat company Vow announces that it has secured regulatory approval from the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) to produce and sell the world’s first cultivated quail product.  Vow’s product originates from cells of the rare Japanese quail, Coturnix japonica, grown without animal-derived serum and antibiotics to provide a slaughter-free alternative. The Australian pioneer claims it is the only company globally that is currently offering a product free from the controversial fetal bovine serum. With this approval, Vow becomes the fourth company in the world to receive approval for a cultivated meat product (after the US companies UPSIDE Foods and GOOD Meat and the Israeli biotech Aleph Farms) and the third company to introduce a food made from cultured cells (Aleph Farms has yet to …

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Vow's cultivated quail

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Cultivated Meat

Icelandic Prime Minister Tries Vow’s Cultivated Quail at Europe’s First Official Cultivated Meat Tasting

Australian cultivated meat firm Vow and the Icelandic biotech company ORF Genetics recently held what they claim was Europe’s first official cultivated meat tasting featuring gourmet dishes crafted with Vow’s cultivated quail. The pioneering event took place on the 12th of February. Among the attendees was Katrín Jakobsdóttir, the Prime Minister and acting Minister of Food, Fisheries and Agriculture of Iceland, who, according to the announcement, tasted cultivated meat for the first time. Jakobsdóttir shared: “Cultivated meat is one of the solutions to the climate challenge. The Icelandic authorities are determined to pave the way for the adoption of new solutions in Iceland and we are eager to see the development of an EU regulatory framework for cultivated meat.” Why Iceland? ORF Genetics, which develops MESOkine, a …

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Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) has concluded that Vow's cultivated quail it is safe to eat.

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Cultivated Meat

Australia Closer to Approve Cultivated Meat: Food Standards Concludes Vow’s Cultivated Quail is Safe to Eat

Australia and New Zealand’s alt protein think tank Food Frontier announces that the cultivated meat company Vow is closer to receiving novel foods approval to produce and sell a cultivated quail product in both countries. Earlier this year, Vow became the first Australian cultivated meat company to apply for regulatory approval. And now, after months of scientific and safety assessment of the product and its manufacturing method, Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) has concluded that Vow’s cultivated quail is safe to eat.  FSANZ is now sharing its findings as part of the public consultation process, allowing consumers to provide feedback on Vow’s cultivated quail in the next six weeks. In its call for public submissions, FSANZ proposes several labelling requirements for cell-based products to avoid consumer …

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Vow_TheVowse

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Company News

Vow Provides Response to Paleo Allegations

The following is a verbatim statement from Australia’s Vow in response to the possible legal action considered by Belgium’s Paleo, as reported in our story earlier today. “Vow is familiar with Paleo’s allegations in relation to the recent “Mammoth Meatball” event and would like to respond with some important clarifications. The technology and innovation involved in Vow’s creation and presentation of the “Mammoth Meatball” owes nothing to any technology or alleged invention by Paleo. “The “Mammoth Meatball” was conceived, developed and created entirely by the hard work and ingenuity of Vow’s own scientists [and collaborators] and using a combination of publicly available genetic data and Vow’s own proprietary production processes. Rightly, there is no suggestion by Paleo that Vow has done anything other than adopt …

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Paleo founders

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Cultivated, Cell-Cultured & Biotechnology

Paleo Considers Legal Action Against Vow Regarding the Mammoth Meatball

Belgian precision fermentation firm Paleo announces it is considering legal action against Vow, an Australian cultivated meat company, for claiming that mammoth myoglobin protein is Vow’s invention, “while knowing that the technology (mammoth myoglobin) was already developed two years ago by Paleo, with patent applications ongoing.” Paleo develops animal-free heme proteins as ingredients for the alt meat sector. It focuses on producing myoglobin, a heme protein found in animal muscles. In July 2022,  the company released six new non-GM proteins: chicken, beef, pork, lamb, and tuna proteins and new variations of its mammoth protein, as part of the species extinct in the wild. “Our breakthrough in creating myoglobin for mammoth – and also beef, lamb, tuna, chicken, and pork — was significant and took hard work to bring about,” states …

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cultivated quail

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Cultivated Meat

Vow Begins Regulatory Approval Process to Launch Cultivated Quail in Australia by 2024

Australia’s Vow has become the first cultivated meat company in the country to begin the regulatory approval process with Food Standards Australian New Zealand (FSANZ), hoping to launch a line of cultivated quail called Morsel in restaurants by 2024. The food tech announces it had submitted an application seeking to amend the food standards code to approve its novel food, stating its cultivated quail is safe to eat.  Now the FSANZ needs to conduct its scientific and safety assessment to confirm the safety of Vow’s manufacturing process, stability of the cell line, ingredients, and final product.  Rare Japanese quail Vow’s cultivated quail originates from cells of the rare Japanese quail, Coturnix japonica. According to the food tech, it has a stable quail cell line that does …

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Cultivated meat in Australiav George Peppou, CEO, Matt Kean, NSW Treasurer, Tim Noakesmith, Cofounder

Vow's CEO George Peppou (left) Matt Kean, NSW Treasurer, and Tim Noakesmith, Vow's co-founder (right) © Vow
Investments & Acquisitions

Australia’s Vow Raises Record US$49.2M, Will Launch Cultivated Quail

Australia’s Vow has announced a $49.2 million (A$73.5 million) funding round, which it claims is the largest ever Series A for a cultivated meat startup. Vow says it is now on track to offer its first product, cultivated quail, at Singaporean restaurants by the end of the year. The product will be available for tasting on a limited basis under the brand name Morsel. At present, Singapore is the only country to have approved the sale of cultivated meat, but Vow also plans to seek regulatory approval in Australia and the US. The round was led by Blackbird and Prosperity 7 Ventures, with participation from Toyota Ventures, Square Peg, Grok, and more. It follows Vow’s oversubscribed $6 million seed round in January 2021. The funds …

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Cultivated meat in Australiav George Peppou, CEO, Matt Kean, NSW Treasurer, Tim Noakesmith, Cofounder

Vow's CEO George Peppou (left) Matt Kean, NSW Treasurer, and Tim Noakesmith, Vow's co-founder (right) © Vow
Cultivated Meat

Vow Says it Has Opened the Largest Cultivated Meat Facility in the Southern Hemisphere

Vow announces it has officially opened its Factory 1 in the presence of the New South Wales Treasurer and Energy Minister Matt Kean. The Australian cultivated meat startup states this is the largest cultivated facility both in Australia and the entire Southern Hemisphere. Vow claims that Factory 1 can produce 30 tonnes of meat annually and that this makes it the largest of its kind in the entire hemisphere. The company also announces that its Factory 2, with capability to produce 100x this scale, is already under development. Cultivated quail? Located in Alexandria, Sydney; Factory 1 has already produced successful runs of cultivated meat. The company says that its first product will soon be revealed to the world, which has been reported as being a …

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