As novel foods race toward commercialization, testing labs are becoming the industry’s new gatekeepers

The alternative protein industry has spent years talking about scale-up, manufacturing capacity, and consumer adoption. Increasingly, however, another challenge is emerging behind the scenes: whether the testing and regulatory infrastructure supporting novel foods can keep pace with the technologies themselves.

• A new Protein Production Technology International webinar will examine testing, toxicology, characterization, and regulatory bottlenecks in novel foods.
• Speakers from Merck Life Science, Upside Foods, Labcorp, Fera Science, MilliporeSigma, and Vireo Advisors will participate.
• The discussion will cover cultivated meat, precision fermentation, GLP testing, regulatory strategy, and analytical validation.

That question will sit at the center of an upcoming Protein Production Technology International webinar, Becoming the Go-To Lab for Novel Foods: A Guide for Contract Testing Labs & Manufacturers, taking place on Thursday 28 May 2026 in partnership with Merck Life Science.

The session will bring together specialists from across analytical science, toxicology, regulatory affairs, contract research, and food-tech commercialization to explore how rapidly evolving novel food systems are reshaping expectations around testing and validation.

While much of the public conversation around alternative proteins has focused on scaling bioreactors or improving taste and texture, industry experts increasingly warn that characterization, analytical validation, toxicology, and regulatory documentation are becoming some of the sector’s biggest hidden bottlenecks.

As cultivated meat, precision fermentation, and biomass-derived ingredients move closer to commercialization, companies are being asked increasingly difficult questions about exactly what their products contain, how they were produced, how stable they remain over time, and which components may require safety assessment.

For contract testing laboratories, that creates a rapidly evolving market opportunity – but also major technical and regulatory challenges.

The webinar panel includes André Silva from Merck Group, Sarah (Sally) Powell-Price from MilliporeSigma, Jo Anne Shatkin from Vireo Advisors, René Viñas from Upside Foods, Rosario Romero from Fera Science, and James Hutchinson from Labcorp.

Several of the planned discussions highlight growing industry concerns that current regulatory and analytical systems may be struggling to keep pace with innovation.

Rosario Romero, Science Lead – Food at Fera Science, is expected to discuss the widening gap between novel food innovation and testing infrastructure, as well as the common mistakes companies make when approaching laboratories during early commercialization stages.

The session will also examine whether startups frequently underestimate the level of analytical work required for regulatory submissions, and what separates companies that are genuinely ready for commercialization from those still operating with an R&D mindset.

Meanwhile, James Hutchinson from Labcorp is expected to address increasingly complex questions around characterization and safety assessment for alternative proteins.

One major issue involves how regulators and laboratories should approach products derived from precision fermentation and cell-cultivated systems, where ingredients may involve complex mixtures, cell lines, lysates, supernatants, anti-foaming agents, or other processing components.

The webinar will also examine the growing importance of OECD 19 characterization standards and Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) requirements for EFSA submissions.

Another topic expected to generate discussion is the practical challenge of implementing increasingly sophisticated regulatory guidance, including digestion models such as InfoGEST, under full GLP conditions.

The conversation comes at a time when many novel food companies are facing mounting cost pressures while navigating increasingly demanding validation requirements.

The role of New Approach Methodologies (NAMs), in vitro systems, and alternatives to animal testing is also expected to feature heavily in the discussion, particularly as startups look for ways to reduce the cost and time associated with toxicology studies.

Sarah (Sally) Powell-Price from MilliporeSigma is expected to address how companies should approach regulatory strategy during early R&D phases, including where businesses may be over- or under-investing in testing and when analytical methods should be locked into development programs.

The webinar reflects a broader shift underway across the alternative protein sector, where success increasingly depends not only on scientific innovation, but also on the ability to generate robust analytical data, navigate evolving regulatory frameworks, and build credible commercialization pathways.

The session takes place on Thursday 28 May 2026 from 4-5pm CET.

Registration is free.