For the first time, a manufacturer has requested the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) for approval to market cultured meat from bioreactors. However, the approval process could take years. Is this a genuine request or intentional confusion? Here's what RetailDetail has to say about it.

A Request from Germany

The applicant is the German startup The Cultivated B, a subsidiary of Infamily Foods, a sustainable meat and hybrid meat and vegetable products manufacturer in North Rhine-Westphalia. The manufacturer seeks approval to market a cultured meat and plant-based product, similar to a hot dog, as reported by Lebensmittel Zeitung.

It is the first company in the world to register a cultured meat product with the European Food Safety Authority. As cultured meat falls under the scope of the European Union's Novel Food Regulation, the product must go through a rigorous approval process that will last at least 18 months and potentially several years.

Cultivated B produces bioreactors in Canada and has positioned itself as a technology provider for cultured meat producers. However, it is now changing its strategy to market cultured meat itself, aligning with Infamily Foods' sustainable protein strategy.

High Expectations

In the United States, two producers have recently obtained authorization to market cellular meat from bioreactors. The marketing of cultured meat has also been authorized in Singapore.

Internationally, there are high expectations for this new product category because cultured meat is animal-friendly, clean, safe, and sustainable: compared to traditional animal farming, production would emit 80% to 90% fewer greenhouse gases, use 45% less energy, 90% less water, and 99% less land.

However, there are still many technological and financial obstacles to overcome before it can reach the market on a large scale. Consumer reactions are also expected to play a significant role.

Nothing Official!

There seems to be some confusion about the nature of the process initiated by Cultivated B with the EFSA. All regulatory applications to the EFSA are publicly listed on their website, but so far, there is no online record of any submission by any cultured meat company, including The Cultivated B.

In its press release, the company mentions a "pre-submission process," which, however, does not formally exist.

It is possible that The Cultivated B's product may have been registered only to obtain an identifier on the EFSA platform, as many cultured meat companies have done for some time. Contrary to what the company suggests, this does not mean the initiation of a regulatory process with the EFSA.