FSA receives £1.4 million to launch new innovation hub focused on food-tech regulation

The UK’s Food Standards Agency (FSA) has been awarded £1.4 million (approximately US$1.75 million) to establish a new innovation hub, aimed at bolstering its capabilities to regulate emerging food technologies. The funding, provided through the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), is part of the wider strategy led by the Regulatory Innovation Office (RIO) to develop a regulatory environment that supports innovation without compromising safety.

The new hub will play a central role in assessing precision fermented foods – products made using advanced fermentation techniques to create proteins, fats, and other key ingredients. These products are rapidly gaining interest as sustainable, high-value alternatives in the food supply chain, but their market potential depends on a clear and responsive regulatory pathway.

The funding forms part of the government’s recently announced innovation strategy, which was outlined in a broader action plan published by the Chancellor on 17 March 2025. As the UK food system evolves, the FSA’s role is being reshaped to address new safety and compliance challenges associated with next-generation food products, including genetically engineered ingredients and cell-cultivated foods.

According to the FSA, the new hub will support three key goals: enhancing scientific and technical capacity to risk assess novel products; offering clearer guidance to businesses and investors; and improving the UK’s ability to regulate the most innovative products coming to market.

“We’re pleased to secure this additional funding to make the risk assessment of innovative products swifter, without compromising on food safety,” said Professor Susan Jebb, Chair of the FSA. “There is growing interest in the potential of new technologies to increase the UK’s food security and provide affordable, healthy, and sustainable food.”

“This important new project will give innovators greater support in navigating the regulations under which we assess if food is safe, making the system more efficient and enabling safe products to come to the market more quickly,” Jebb added.

Science Minister Lord Vallance also emphasized the significance of this step: “Breakthroughs in precision fermentation have the potential to grow our economy and improve food security by reducing reliance on imports. We’re streamlining regulation to get safe, innovative products onto shelves faster, while maintaining high standards and strengthening the UK’s position in food technology.”

Linus Pardoe, Senior Policy Manager at GFI Europe, said, “This announcement shows the government is working to capitalize on the UK’s potential to become a world leader in food innovation, helping entrepreneurs work with scientists to bring products to market in a way that upholds our gold standard safety regulations.

“Focusing on precision fermentation – a hugely promising way to reduce the climate impact of many foods – is a particularly welcome move, and investing in the FSA’s risk assessment capacity is a positive step towards modernising the regulatory pathway to deliver benefits to the public and innovators.”

The initiative complements the FSA’s broader work under the Government’s innovation agenda, including its role in establishing a regulatory sandbox for cell-cultivated products. The sandbox provides companies with a clear view of the legal and safety requirements necessary for market entry, allowing for collaborative testing and refinement of novel food technologies.

In addition to the innovation hub, the FSA is also taking on expanded responsibilities to help UK businesses meet EU regulatory requirements for food-grade recycled plastics. Other projects include updating approaches to food hygiene inspections across local authorities and working with Defra on international audits to support UK food exporters.

The FSA Board discussed the new project during its 26 March meeting, reaffirming the agency’s commitment to combining food safety assurance with agile regulation. The agency said the innovation hub will bring together its existing expertise on novel foods and genetic technologies with its new workstreams in precision fermentation and cell cultivation.

The FSA said the public can remain confident that food products in the UK will continue to meet high safety standards, while the investment in regulatory capacity ensures that the country remains an attractive location for food-tech innovation and commercial growth.

(Main photo shows Gourmey's cultivated fois gras. Image courtesy of Romain Buisson)