/>i- French start-up, Gourmey, has submitted the EU’s first application for novel food approval of a cultivated meat product, duck foie gras, which it is offering in both a pâté “semi-cuit” form and as whole pieces ready for frying.
- The European Commission (EC) will review before asking the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) for a risk assessment, which the agency will start after verifying that the application contains all the required studies to prove that the product is safe for consumers to eat.
- While the application should theoretically take about 18 months to review, it will most likely exceed this timeframe, as it is the first cultivated meat product application.
- An EFSA approval may be controversial. Italy in particular is opposed to cultivated meat and, in December 2023, banned lab-grown food from the Italian market. The ban is arguably in breach of European law, since the Meloni government failed to respect EU standstill procedures, adopting the Italian bill before the end of the mandatory comment period, when a measure should be put on hold to allow other EU member states or EC to raise concerns.
- If the Gourmey foie gras – or any other cultivated meat or fish – is authorized at EU level under the novel foods regulation, the decision will be binding on Italy and the government will have to allow the product on the Italian market.
First EU Application Submitted for Lab-Grown Meat Product as Novel Food
Thursday, August 22, 2024
