Clarification as to the potential placing on the EU market of lab-grown meat and other synthetic products

Subject: Clarification as to the potential placing on the EU market of lab-grown meat and other synthetic products

On 26 July, leading news agencies announced that the French start-up Gourmey had announced it had applied to the EU regulatory authorities for authorisation to market its laboratory-cultivated foie gras. Since the company has to have the prior approval of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) before marketing the product, it should be noted that there are no proven long-term scientific studies which show that it is safe to consume synthetic products such as cultivated meat, duplicated by means of protein, hormone and antibiotic mixes.

In view of the above, can the Commission indicate:

Whether it knows of any findings from proven scientific studies in humans attesting to the fact that meat or any other synthetic products artificially cultivated in laboratories are completely safe for consumption?

Submitted: 26.7.2024

Answer given by Ms Kyriakides on behalf of the European Commission (27 September 2024)

For lab-grown meat as for other foods, a high level of food safety is a non-negotiable principle and an utmost priority for the Commission.

This type of products falls within the scope of the Novel Foods Regulation (1) which provides that any novel food can be placed on the EU market only after having obtained an authorisation from the Commission.

Such foods are therefore subject to a pre-market authorisation process which includes a thorough case by case safety assessment by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).

The EFSA safety assessment of any novel food includes the evaluation of the scientific studies and data submitted by the applicant in support of the referred application as required by the Novel Foods Regulation and takes into account all the scientific data available in the public domain related to the safety of a particular novel food.

However, no authorisation has been granted for any laboratory-grown meat, these products are therefore not allowed to be placed on the market within the Union.

1 ∙ ⸱ Regulation (EU) 2015/2283 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 November 2015 on novel foods. OJ L327, 11.12.2015, p. 1. | | ( | | )