First-ever regulatory submission made for cultivated meat in the EU

French cultivated meat startup Gourmey has submitted an application to EU regulators for authorisation of its cultivated foie gras – marking the first-ever application to sell cultivated meat in the European Union.

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26 July 2024

Photo: Gourmey

French cultivated meat startup Gourmey has submitted an application to EU regulators for authorisation of its cultivated foie gras – marking the first-ever application to sell cultivated meat in the European Union. 

Gourmey has also submitted applications in Singapore, Switzerland, the UK and the United States. 

Seth Roberts, Senior Policy Manager at the Good Food Institute (GFI) Europe, said: It’s fantastic to see the first application to sell cultivated meat in the EU has been submitted. This demonstrates that food innovation can coexist alongside our culinary traditions, providing consumers with foie gras made in a way that could reduce environmental impacts and animal welfare concerns, support investment and provide future-proof jobs. 

“Experts can now get to work, using one of the world’s most rigorous regulatory processes to assess the safety and nutritional qualities of cultivated meat.”

A survey conducted by YouGov and commissioned by GFI Europe interviewed more than 16,000 people across 15 European countries found that more than half of respondents in 13 countries were in favour of cultivated meat being approved for sale if food regulators find it to be safe and nutritious. A majority of respondents agreed with this approach in Italy and Hungary, despite their governments moving to ban cultivated meat.

Gourmey’s submission comes almost exactly a year after Aleph Farms applied to Swiss and UK regulators to sell their cultivated beef. Two cultivated chicken products were approved for sale in the United States in 2023 following safety evaluations, and regulators authorised cultivated meat for sale in Singapore in December 2020.

What is cultivated meat?

Cultivated meat aims to deliver food such as chicken, pork and seafood that is indistinguishable from the meat we eat today, but made in fermentors – like those used to brew beer – rather than through animal agriculture.

Peer-reviewed research suggests cultivated meat could cause up to 92% less greenhouse gas emissions, up to 94% less air pollution, and use up to 66% less water than conventional beef. 

Because it requires up to 90% less land, cultivated meat could complement sustainable agriculture by providing the space for more nature-friendly approaches while boosting Europe’s food security by reducing reliance on crops grown overseas to feed animals. It can also be made without antibiotics, helping to reduce the risk of antimicrobial resistance.

The EU regulatory process – what happens next?

Before a cultivated meat product can be sold in Europe, it needs to be approved by the European Commission. The market authorisation of cultivated meat is governed by the Novel Foods Regulation, which is one of the most robust food safety frameworks in the world. Learn more about the process here.

Once the European Commission approves a cultivated meat product, it can be sold across all 27 EU countries. The approval process will include a thorough and evidence-based assessment of the safety and nutritional value of cultivated meat and is estimated to take at least 18 months. During risk management and the public consultation phase of the process, it also enables the consideration of the potential social and economic impacts of the food in question. The European Commission and member states have a role in the approvals process alongside scientific experts at the European Food Safety Authority, to ensure authorisation decisions are representative and retain the buy-in of all stakeholders.