The regulations are still evolving but research, development and small private tastings are permitted without regulatory approval in both markets. Europe has tighter restrictions on public tastings than South Africa.
AFRICA
South Africa
- No specific regulations yet for cultivated meat production and sale.
- The Department of Health plans to update the Foodstuffs, Cosmetics and Disinfectants Act to include oversight for cultured meat.
- Tasting trials can currently proceed without regulatory approval. Several startups have conducted tastings already.
South Africa currently does not have specific regulations governing the production and sale of cultured meat products. The Department of Health (DoH) has indicated plans to eventually update the Foodstuffs, Cosmetics and Disinfectants Act to provide a framework for regulating the safety and standards of cultivated meat. However, this formal policy is still under development.
In the interim, cultured meat startups and research activities can proceed without needing regulatory approval. This enables companies to conduct R&D, prototyping, and small private tasting trials as needed for product development. Several South African startups have already produced cultured meat prototypes and carried out small-scale tastings to showcase their progress. While commercial sale of final products will eventually require updated regulations, the flexibility to innovate without regulatory barriers has allowed South Africa to emerge as a leader in cultivated meat advancements globally.
Newform has engaged with regulatory authorities like the DoH and Department of Agriculture (DALRRD), receiving favourable feedback. With the goal being aligning cultivated meat with existing legislation, specifically those defining meat as skeletal muscle. The emphasis lies on rapid prototyping in this dynamic environment, reflecting the company's proactive approach to innovation and adaptation.
UK and Europe
Europe
- Falls under novel food regulations that require safety assessments before market approval.
- Companies can produce cultivated meat for research purposes without authorization.
- Tasting trials allowed for R&D purposes but cannot be sold to the public yet.
- The EU's "No Slaughter, No Sale" clause limits tastings to <10 people per trial.
- Some countries like the Netherlands allow more flexibility for startups to conduct larger tastings.
The UK government is actively supporting the cultivated meat sector through funding and research initiatives, fostering innovation and providing essential resources. This support aligns with the broader goal of sustainability by reducing the environmental impact of traditional meat production methods. As the cultivated meat industry advances, the government is expected to adapt regulations to ensure the safety, quality, and ethical standards of cultivated meat products, ensuring consumer confidence and sustainability. Newform’s move to the UK of its commercial hub will also allow it to work in an environment more favourable to the development and sale of cultivated meat.
There are regulations for tasting cultivated meat in Europe. Before a cultivated meat product can be sold in Europe, it needs to be approved by regulators under the Novel Foods Regulation. The regulatory landscape for cultured meat in the EU is still uncertain, and there are principal areas of uncertainty for regulators and meat-alternative developers with regards to their licensing and industrialization within the EU.
The approval process will include a thorough and evidence-based assessment of the safety and nutritional value of cultivated meat, and is estimated to take at least 18 months. Many other European governments have similar regulatory frameworks in place for the assessment and authorization of cultivated meat.
The Netherlands has become the first European country to allow cultivated meat and seafood tastings, even before an EU novel food approval. The Dutch government has agreed on rules for cultivated meat and seafood tastings in controlled environments