The UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) has selected companies and other partners to take part in its Cell-Cultivated Products (CCPs) sandbox program.

In October 2024, FSA and Food Standards Scotland (FSS) were awarded £1.6 million in funding from the Government’s Engineering Biology Sandbox Fund (EBSF) to launch an innovative sandbox program to ensure the safety of cell-cultivated foods. After an application process, FSA selected eight CCP companies to participate in the program:

• Hoxton Farms (UK)
• BlueNalu (U.S.)
• Mosa Meat (The Netherlands)
• Gourmey (France)
• Roslin Technologies (UK)
• Uncommon Bio (UK)
• Vital Meat (France)
• Vow (Australia).

Additionally, FSA announced academic partners with which it will be working closely throughout the CCP sandbox program: the Cellular Agriculture Manufacturing Hub (CARMA) led by the University of Bath, the National Alternative Protein Innovation Centre (NAPIC), and the Bezos Centre for Sustainable Protein. The Alternative Proteins Association (APA) trade body will represent industry, alongside non-governmental organization the Good Food Institute Europe (GFI).

Work has commenced on the two-year sandbox program, the aim of which is to gather rigorous scientific evidence about CCPs and how they are made, to inform how FSA and FSS regulate these products. A team of scientists and regulatory experts will collaborate with the aforementioned companies and partners to achieve this goal.

Evidence gathered will enable FSA to assess CCP applications more efficiently and make sure they are safe before they can be sold to consumers. FSA will provide clearer guidance to businesses, and address questions that must be answered before any CCPs can enter the market. Through the program, FSA is committed to completing the full safety assessment of two CCPs within the next two years.