FSA publishes new guidance to help cell-cultivated food companies navigate UK approval process

The UK Food Standards Agency (FSA), working alongside Food Standards Scotland (FSS), has published a new suite of guidance designed to help developers of cell-cultivated foods and other novel foods navigate the country's regulatory system more effectively.

• Four new guidance documents published covering hygiene, scientific requirements, applications and taste trials
• Guidance developed through the UK Cell-Cultivated Products Sandbox Programme
• Business Support Service remains available until February 2027

The publications form the second batch of outputs from the Cell-Cultivated Products Sandbox Programme, a Department for Science, Innovation and Technology-funded initiative running until February 2027. The programme brings together regulators, industry and academia to develop a shared understanding of how existing food regulations apply to cell-cultivated products, with a focus on products derived from animal cells.

The new guidance covers four areas intended to support businesses preparing products for market authorization in Great Britain.

The first document explains how General Food Law and Hygiene Regulations apply to the manufacture of cell-cultivated products. A second provides supplementary scientific guidance covering product identity, production processes and microbiological considerations, including how businesses should characterize cell lines, describe manufacturing processes and manage microbiological hazards when preparing novel food applications.

A third document offers practical advice on strengthening applications for market authorization by addressing common issues that lead to delays or requests for additional information from regulators. The fourth publication provides supplementary guidance for companies carrying out taste trials of novel foods, including cell-cultivated products, building on guidance first published in 2025.

According to the FSA, the documents are intended to give businesses greater regulatory certainty while maintaining food safety as the foundation of the approval process.

Dr Thomas Vincent, Deputy Director of Innovation at the Food Standards Agency, said, "Cell-cultivated products represent a genuinely new frontier for the food industry, and we want businesses to have the clearest possible picture of what is required to bring safe products to market. This guidance reflects the knowledge we have built through engagement with industry and academia through the Sandbox, and is designed to make the path to authorisation more transparent and efficient.

"Consumer safety is non-negotiable, and these documents are ultimately about reducing barriers for emerging food technologies without compromising on safety standards."

Professor Susan Jebb, Chair of the Food Standards Agency, said the guidance would help support innovation while maintaining public health protections. "Developments in the innovative food sector can support a healthier and more resilient food system while also contributing to the UK government's ambitions for a growing, modern economy," she said.

"But that potential will only be realized if businesses have the regulatory clarity to invest and the confidence to scale-up. This guidance provides practical support that helps innovative companies move forward, backed by a science-led approach that protects public health."

Alongside the published guidance, the Sandbox Programme continues to offer a Business Support Service, enabling companies developing cell-cultivated products to engage directly with regulatory experts from the FSA and FSS until February 2027.

The UK has been working to develop a more collaborative regulatory approach to cell-cultivated foods through the Sandbox Programme, which was launched to help regulators and industry better understand the evidence required to assess the safety of these products before they can be authorised for sale.