Aleph Farms has developed a cultivated meat that resembles steak (Image: Aleph Farms)
Meat, milk and foie gras grown in a lab could soon hit supermarket shelves, following a £1.6million boost for research into their safety.
Scientific advances mean it is now possible to grow thousands of tons of “steak” from cells derived from a single cow.
Pioneering companies have developed complex processes to grow different types of cells in structures that mimic the texture of traditional foods.
Four have already applied for approval to sell their products in the UK and over a dozen more are expected to follow within two years.
Amid excitement about the potential of cell-cultivated foods – often touted as a sustainable alternative to traditional farming methods – the Government has awarded £1.6million to the Food Standards Agency (FSA).
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The cash will launch a “sandbox” programme bringing together experts from industry, non-profits, citizen science groups and academia to develop a regulatory framework to ensure they are safe for human consumption.
Professor Robin May, the FSA’s chief scientific advisor, said: “Cell-cultivated products are radically different from anything that has gone through that process previously.
“This is not a different colourant or preservative that is based on a chemical structure that already exists.
“We think very strongly that a fundamentally different type of science needs a fundamentally different approach to regulation.”
Three companies have publicly announced that they are seeking the green light to sell cell-cultivated products in the UK.
French start-up Gourmey recently became the first to apply for regulatory approval in Europe for its cultivated foie gras.
The lab-grown version could be a kinder alternative to the controversial delicacy, which is usually made from the bloated liver of a force-fed duck or goose.
Meanwhile, Aleph Farms has developed a “new take on steak” and Vital Meat is seeking approval for cultivated chicken.
Cultivated meats are made by growing stem cells from an animal in suspension and then stimulating them to differentiate into muscle, fat or other tissue cells, which can then be shaped to resemble popular food items.
Some companies are even exploring methods such as the use of electrical fields to make muscle cells align and form fibres.
Manufacturers must submit a dossier of information about their product and how they want it to be used, including details of production methods and any data relative to safety.
Prof May said: “The final product aims to be indistinguishable but the way you get there is very different.
“So for us as a regulator, there are key questions around for example the chemicals you might use to trigger these cells to differentiate. Are they safe?
“Are there any genetic changes that might occur in the cells as they differentiate that might make them in some way hazardous?”
The FSA has been responsible for evaluating novel foods – those not consumed before 1997 – since Brexit.
The sandbox project will begin in February and take around two years. It is hoped the findings will allow regulators to make better-informed decisions about safety and provide guidance for companies seeking approval. Product assessments will continue in a parallel process in the meantime.
The UK is seen as an attractive market for start-ups due to potential investors in the City of London and the population’s openness to novel foods.
A 2022 survey found a third of consumers would be willing to try lab-grown meat.
Prof May added: “We have a relatively high number of vegetarians, vegans, flexitarians who are looking for these kinds of alternatives.
“And of course we’re a relatively wealthy country. At least initially, these are going to be quite expensive products.”
Nick Allen, chief executive of the British Meat Processors Association, said the meat industry was “taking a keen interest in the new technology and innovation going into novel cell-cultivated products”.
He added: “With a growing global population, we can see that cell-cultivated meat could provide a valuable source of protein for people in countries where the climate or conditions aren’t suited to rearing animals and can’t provide sufficient protein for the population.
“It’s reassuring to know that FSA has been given the funding it needs for this new sandbox programme.
“It will enable the regulator to rigorously research and test the safety of these novel food products and the manufacturing processes used, so consumers can make informed choices about the food they buy.”
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