The future of cellular agriculture in the EU

Subject: The future of cellular agriculture in the EU

Innovations in the food and drink sector and new consumer habits have given rise to companies, many of them start-ups, that are looking for new ways of producing food. One of these production methods is cellular agriculture, which is the process of producing food for human consumption by synthesising animal proteins or growing meat from cell cultures. In order to be sold in the EU, foods produced through cellular agriculture will first need to pass the assessment procedures in place for novel foods. Just a couple of years after that, EU consumers might already be able to put these products in their shopping baskets.

In light of this:

1. Does the Commission believe cellular agriculture is a viable option to satisfy EU demand for animal and plant protein?

2. How many authorisation requests has the Commission already received for these new foods?

3. Are these products on a par with their traditionally produced counterparts in terms of flavour and consistency?

Answer given by Ms Kyriakides on behalf of the European Commission

(9 November 2022)

Cellular agriculture is a new technology that is often considered to have to the potential to contribute to the sustainability and resilience of food systems. However, there is a need for more knowledge and understanding of its ability to contribute to the objectives of the Farm to Fork Strategy (1) and represent a sustainable source of proteins.

To date, the Commission has not received any request for an authorisation of cell-based products under the Novel Food Regulation (2).

Cell-based products can be placed on the EU market only after a pre-market authorisation has been granted by the Commission, based on a safety assessment by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). The consideration of flavour and consistency does not fall under the scope of this assessment and the Commission does not possess any such information, given, as mentioned before, that so far no application for the authorisation of these innovative products has been submitted.

⋅1∙ Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions, A

Farm to Fork Strategy for a fair, healthy and environmentally-friendly food system (COM/2020/381 final), https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/? uri=CELEX:52020DC0381

⋅2∙ Regulation (EU) 2015/2283 of 25 November 2015 on novel foods. OJ L327, 11.12.2015, p. 1.