In April 2023, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) released a publication, titled, “Food Safety Aspects of Cell-Based Food.” Since the publication has a total of 150 pages with detailed information on terminologies, production processes, regulatory frameworks, country case studies, food safety hazard identification processes, and more, FAO has prepared a short factsheet for food safety authorities to grasp the contents of the publication.

The publication has nine items for regulators working in the area of food safety, making references to the full report, with a small section that includes some of the next steps that competent authorities can consider undertaking. The nine items are as follows:

1. What is cell-based food?
2. What’s in a name?
3. Cell-based foods are no longer futuristic products.
4. Why should food safety come first?
5. What about sustainability?
6. How can food safety authorities prepare?
7. What has been done at the international level?
8. From a communications standpoint, what can regulators do to address consumers’ potential concerns about food safety?
9. Next steps that competent authorities can consider taking.

The short fact sheet can be accessed here.