On November 6, 2023, a stakeholder roundtable meeting organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment (CFSA) was held in Shanghai, China to discuss the latest developments in cell-based food production and precision fermentation. Insights and experiences from developers and producers of cell-based and precision-fermented products were shared so that relevant food safety considerations could be updated, contributing to effective risk assessment for competent authorities.
Cell-based food refers to products that are developed by culturing cells isolated from animals, while precision fermentation is a process that uses microorganisms to produce specific food compounds and ingredients. In April 2023, FAO and the World Health Organization (WHO) published the first-ever global report on cell-based food safety, following FAO documents published in late 2022 that defined the relevant terminologies, processes, and regulatory frameworks for cell-based foods.