Cruelty-free foie gras could be one of the first lab-grown products made available in the UK, according to regulators.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has announced £1.6m of funding to investigate cell-cultivated products.
These are new foods made without using traditional farming methods and instead involve growing cells in a lab to make a product ‘indistinguishable’ from the real thing.
The FSA will launch their ‘Sandbox’ programme in February next year, designed to test lab-grown products to make sure they are safe for consumers to eat.
Yesterday, regulators confirmed they have already received four applications from companies interested in selling their products in the UK.
Cruelty-free foie gras could be one of the first lab-grown products made available in the UK, according to regulators
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has announced £1.6m of funding to investigate cell-cultivated products. These are new foods made without using traditional farming methods and instead involve growing cells in a lab to make a product ‘indistinguishable’ from the real thing (stock image)
And one of them is French company Gourmey, who are hoping their flagship lab-grown foie gras will appeal to British consumers.
The controversial production of foie gras involves a technique called ‘gavage’, where ducks and geese are force-fed large amounts of food through a tube inserted down their throats.
Gourmey say their lab-grown equivalent, created using duck stem cells, is a boost for animal welfare without compromising on taste.
Their website reads: ‘We believe in a world where spectacle and succulence share a table with sustainability and a positive impact.
Gourmey say their lab-grown equivalent, created using duck stem cells, is a boost for animal welfare without compromising on taste
‘So we’re reimagining meat to spare land and resources, not flavour. Sharing the delightful and decadent experience of meat we all love, while protecting the planet we need.
‘With our flagship cultivated foie gras, we’re honouring culinary traditions and heritage while looking to the future.’
Other companies who have also submitted an application include Aleph Farms, who focus on lab-grown steaks, and Vital Meat whose range includes cell-cultivated chicken.
Professor Robin May, chief scientific advisor at the Food Standards Agency, said: ‘What companies developing these products are aiming for is a product that is indistinguishable from the animal equivalent.
‘So, a fillet steak that tastes like a fillet steak.
‘Quite a lot of companies who are operating in this space are either doing it from an animal welfare or a sustainability standpoint – things like foie gras are certainly one of them.’
He added that some companies are developing alternatives to replace endangered species, for example an eel substitute.
He said one of the FSA’s ‘most crucial responsibilities’ is ensuring consumers can trust the safety of new foods.
The FSA said that while they have only received four applications to date, they expect to receive another 15 within two years from companies interested in creating lab-grown beef, chicken, fish and even fat.
Announcing the funding, the FSA said it needed to learn ‘about these products and how they’re made, to make sure they’re safe to for consumers to eat.’
The £1.6 million funding for the FDA comes from the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.
They said the award could ‘result in food production which is more environmentally friendly and sustainable, using just 1 per cent of the land used for animal equivalents, while increasing food security.’