Food tech company Vow’s bid to have its cultured quail approved as a novel food took a step forward with Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) finding “no toxicological, nutritional safety or food allergenicity concerns” with its cultured quail cells. It has also proposed the term ‘cell-cultured’ for labelling the product.
The agency has opened the first round of public consultation on Vow’s application to amend the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code (the Code) to permit the use of cultured quail cells as a novel food.
It’s the first cell-cultured food application to be assessed in Australia and New Zealand and FSANZ is assessing the application as a Major Procedure, which requires two rounds of public consultation.
This first call for submissions seeks views on FSANZ’s risk assessment which focussed on the first three stages of cell-based food production – cell line, method of production and cell harvest.
“The assessment found the cultured quail cell line is genetically stable and microbiological risks with cell line sourcing and harvest are very low.
“FSANZ also found no toxicological, nutritional safety, or food allergenicity concerns associated with the consumption of the cultured quail cells,” FSANZ said.
The statutory agency also looked at what would be the labelling requirements of the product and carried out research into consumer perceptions of cell-based food and associated terminology. The first call for submissions proposes the term ‘cell-cultured’ be used in labelling of the product.
Executive director of alternative proteins think tank Dr Simon Eassom congratulated FSANZ on its process.
“FSANZ is undertaking a comprehensive scientific evaluation to ensure foods made using Vow’s cultured quail as a food ingredient are safe.
“Cultivated meat is one of the three pillars of alternative protein production with the potential to provide significant protein sources without the impacts that our current food systems have… Once cultivated meat technology advances to a scale that is required for commercial viability, it promises to be a viable way to help meet the increasing global demand for meat,” Eassom said.
Cultivated meat production replicates the biological process of cell growth that occurs within an animal. It takes a small sample of source cells from an animal and puts them in an environment that provides them with the nutrients and conditions they need to grow. The final product – on a cellular level – is indistinguishable from conventional meat.
US$50m Series A raise in 2022.
Vow applied to FSANZ to amend the food standards code in February. It followed Singapore approving cultured meat in 2020, the US Food and Drug Administration accepting Upside Foods’ evidence its product was safe to eat in November 2022, and approving cultured meat for human consumption in June this year.
Consultancy firm McKinsey and Company forecast that by 2030, the global value of cultivated meat could reach up to $25 billion. The alternative proteins sector could potentially contribute $1.1 trillion to the global economy and generate up to 10 million new jobs by 2050.
Eassom said, “We don’t expect cultivated meat to ever replace conventional meat, but with the growing global population and increasing demand for protein, there is room for both. In its call for public submissions FSANZ proposes a number of labelling requirements for cultivated meat to avoid consumer confusion.
“Public confidence around the introduction of novel food categories is always a vital step in gaining acceptance. The ultimate success of Vow’s application will pave the way for Australia and New Zealand to take a lead in this exciting new era of food production.”
To have your say, see the A1269 Cultured Quail as a Novel Food consultation on the FSANZ Consultation Hub. Submissions close 6pm (AEST time) 5 February 2024.
Following consideration of submissions to this first call for submissions (CFS), any proposed measure to amend the Code will be released for public consultation through a second CFS in 2024.
