UK Could See Lab-Grown Food in 2 Years

Lab-Grown Meat, Dairy, and Sugar Could Be Available in the UK Within Two Years

Lab-grown meat, dairy, and sugar could be on sale in the UK for human consumption within two years, according to the Food Standards Agency (FSA). The FSA is exploring ways to expedite the approval process for these innovative products, which are grown from cells in small chemical plants.

UK firms have been at the forefront of developing lab-grown foods but have faced challenges due to current regulations. Last month, dog food made from cultivated meat went on sale in the UK for the first time.

Singapore was the first country to authorise the sale of cell-cultivated meat for human consumption in 2020, followed by the United States in 2023 and Israel in 2024. However, Italy and the US states of Alabama and Florida have instituted bans on such products.

The FSA aims to develop new regulations by collaborating with experts from high-tech food firms and academic researchers. The agency plans to complete the full safety assessment of two lab-grown foods within the next two years. Critics, however, argue that involving firms in the regulatory process represents a conflict of interest.

The initiative responds to concerns from UK firms that they are losing ground to overseas competitors, where approval processes are faster. Prof Robin May, the FSA’s chief scientist, assured that consumer safety would not be compromised. “We are working very closely with the companies involved and academic groups to design a regulatory structure that ensures the safety of these products remains as high as it possibly can,” he said.

Pat Thomas, director of the campaign group Beyond GM, expressed scepticism about this approach, stating, “The companies involved in helping the FSA to draw up these regulations are the ones most likely to benefit from deregulation, and if this were any other type of food product, we would be outraged by it.”