Food Safety
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Food Safety
  • NEWS
    • Latest News
    • White Papers
  • PRODUCTS
  • TOPICS
    • Contamination Control
    • Food Types
    • Management
    • Process Control
    • Regulatory
    • Sanitation
    • Supply Chain
    • Testing and Analysis
  • PODCAST
  • EXCLUSIVES
    • Food Safety Five Newsreel
    • eBooks
    • FSM Distinguished Service Award
    • Interactive Product Spotlights
    • Videos
  • BUYER'S GUIDE
  • MORE
    • ENEWSLETTER >
      • Archive Issues
      • Subscribe to eNews
    • Store
    • Sponsor Insights
  • WEBINARS
  • FOOD SAFETY SUMMIT
  • EMAG
    • eMagazine
    • Archive Issues
    • Editorial Advisory Board
    • Contact
    • Advertise
  • SIGN UP!
NewsFood TypeRegulatoryAlternative ProteinsInternational Standards/Harmonization

FSA: More Data Required to Determine Safety of Cultured Meats

cell-based hotdogs

Credit: Ivy Farm via Unsplash

March 30, 2023

The UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) recently conducted an analysis of hazards associated with cultured meat products (also known as “cell-based” or “cultivated” meat) and identified several risk areas while acknowledging that there are still existing knowledge and data gaps.

FSA conducted its hazard analysis of cultured meat products to support the development of an appropriate regulatory framework to ensure that products made through cell-culturing technology are safe for human consumption. At present, only one authority, the Singapore Food Agency, has approved a cell-cultured meat product for sale on the Singaporean market. Additionally, in 2019, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Services (USDA’s FSIS) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) took an approach to collaborate in regulating cultured meat. Recently, FDA recently granted its first “no questions asked” letters to two producers of cultured meat products, moving the novel foods one step closer to commercialization in the U.S. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) also attempted to characterize the terminologies, production process, and existing regulatory frameworks around cell-cultured products in October 2022.

The hazard identification process involved a scoping literature review to assess food safety risks considering the following stages and factors of cultured meat production: selection of the starting cell lines; the culture environment; the proliferation, differentiation, and maturation of growing cells; large-scale production; cell harvest and detachment; final product formulation; and good production practices. FSA identified various hazards in the categories of:

  • Differences between the nutritional profiles of cultured meat products and traditional meats
  • The food safety of chemicals, biologics, media formulations, additives, and supplements used during the cell culturing process
  • The infection of cell cultures by bacteria, yeast, fungi, mycoplasma, viruses, and endotoxins
  • Possible cross-contamination between cell lines leading to misidentification issues
  • Risks associated with cell lines that can arise due to the complex and nuanced nature of stem cells and progenitors’ cells that can be used to produce cultured meat.

Importantly, FSA found considerable gaps in the type of knowledge that is required by UK novel foods regulations. Specifically, there was little or no empirical data found on the final analytical composition of products, key toxicology data, nutrition profiles, product stability, allergy risk, and any recorded adverse effects when consumed by animals or humans. Safety aspects were more commonly found in available literature on aspects of the environment or the impacts of cell-cultured products, which produced inconsistent results, as some studies reported negative environmental impacts while others highlighted positive outcomes.

KEYWORDS: cell-based meat FSA hazard analysis UK

Share This Story

Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!

Recommended Content

JOIN TODAY
to unlock your recommendations.

Already have an account? Sign In

  • people holding baby chicks

    Serovar Differences Matter: Utility of Deep Serotyping in Broiler Production and Processing

    This article discusses the significance of Salmonella in...
    Food Type
    By: Nikki Shariat Ph.D.
  • woman washing hands

    Building a Culture of Hygiene in the Food Processing Plant

    Everyone entering a food processing facility needs to...
    Food Prep/Handling
    By: Richard F. Stier, M.S.
  • graphical representation of earth over dirt

    Climate Change and Emerging Risks to Food Safety: Building Climate Resilience

    This article examines the multifaceted threats to food...
    Best Practices
    By: Maria Cristina Tirado Ph.D., D.V.M. and Shamini Albert Raj M.A.
Manage My Account
  • eMagazine Subscription
  • Subscribe to eNewsletter
  • Manage My Preferences
  • Website Registration
  • Subscription Customer Service

More Videos

Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content is a special paid section where industry companies provide high quality, objective, non-commercial content around topics of interest to the Food Safety Magazine audience. All Sponsored Content is supplied by the advertising company and any opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily reflect the views of Food Safety Magazine or its parent company, BNP Media. Interested in participating in our Sponsored Content section? Contact your local rep!

close
  • mold
    Sponsored byIFC

    Tackling Mold Remediation in Food Processing Plants

  • a worker in a food processing plant
    Sponsored byLPS® DETEX®

    How a Beverage Facility Improved Food Safety and Compliance with Detectable Packaging Solutions

  • Two men standing in a produce storage facility having a discussion.
    Sponsored byOrkin Commercial

    Staying Compliant With FSMA

Popular Stories

sunflower oil

Louisiana Passes ‘MAHA’ Bill Targeting More Than 40 Ingredients, Including Seed Oils, Dyes, Sweeteners

smoked salmon in oil

Study Shows Food Type Significantly Affects Listeria’s Ability to Survive Digestion, Cause Sickness

Justin Ransom and Denise Eblen

USDA-FSIS Announces Dr. Justin Ransom as New Administrator

Events

July 15, 2025

Hygienic Design Risk Management: Industry Challenges and Global Insights

Live: July 15, 2025 at 11:00 am EDT: From this webinar, attendees will learn the importance of hygienic design to ensure food safety and sanitation effectiveness.

July 22, 2025

Beyond the Binder: Digital Management of Food Safety

Live: July 22, 2025 at 3:00 pm EDT: During this webinar, attendees will learn best practices for the use of digital food safety management systems across industry and regulatory agencies.

August 7, 2025

Achieve Active Managerial Control of Major Risk Factors Using a Food Safety Management System

Live: August 7, 2025 at 2:00 pm EDT: From this webinar, attendees will learn about changes to the FDA Food Code, which now includes a requirement for FSMS. 

View All

Products

Global Food Safety Microbial Interventions and Molecular Advancements

Global Food Safety Microbial Interventions and Molecular Advancements

See More Products
Environmental Monitoring Excellence eBook

Related Articles

  • glass pitcher and cup of milk black background

    FDA Testing Finds HPAI in Retail Milk Samples; Research Required to Determine Infectivity, Food Safety Risk

    See More
  • vertical farm

    Stakeholder Collaboration Required to Address Unique Safety Challenges of Novel Foods

    See More
  • close up of meaty texture

    UK FSA Selects Participating Companies and Begins Work on Cell-Cultured Food Sandbox Program

    See More

Related Products

See More Products
  • 9781498721776.jpg

    Handbook of Food Processing: Food Safety, Quality, and Manufacturing Processes

  • 1444333348.jpg

    Handbook of Food Safety Engineering

  • 1119160553.jpg

    Food Safety: Innovative Analytical Tools for Safety Assessment

See More Products

Related Directories

  • SafetyChain Software

    SafetyChain is a Digital Plant Management platform for process manufacturers trusted by more than 2,000 facilities to improve plant-wide performance. The platform unifies production and quality teams with data and insights, tools, and delivers real-time operational visibility and control by eliminating paper and point solutions.
×

Never miss the latest news and trends driving the food safety industry

eNewsletter | Website | eMagazine

JOIN TODAY!
  • RESOURCES
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • Directories
    • Store
    • Want More
  • SIGN UP TODAY
    • Create Account
    • eMagazine
    • eNewsletter
    • Customer Service
    • Manage Preferences
  • SERVICES
    • Marketing Services
    • Reprints
    • Market Research
    • List Rental
    • Survey/Respondent Access
  • STAY CONNECTED
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • X (Twitter)
  • PRIVACY
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • TERMS & CONDITIONS
    • DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION
    • PRIVACY REQUEST
    • ACCESSIBILITY

Copyright ©2025. All Rights Reserved BNP Media.

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing