Lab-grown meat, dairy, and sugar could be available for purchase in the UK within two years, as the Food Standards Agency (FSA) explores ways to speed up the approval process, BBC reported.
These products, cultivated from cells in controlled environments, have already been approved for human consumption in Singapore, the United States, and Israel. However, they remain banned in Italy and several US states, including Alabama and Florida.
UK companies have been at the forefront of developing lab-grown foods but believe they have been hampered by slow regulatory procedures. Dog food made from cultivated meat recently became available in the UK, marking a small step towards wider adoption.
The FSA aims to assess the safety of at least two lab-grown foods within two years, working with industry experts and academic researchers. Professor Robin May, the agency’s chief scientist, assured that consumer safety remains a priority.Â
“We are working very closely with the companies involved and academic groups to design a regulatory structure that ensures the safety of these products remains as high as it possibly can,” he said.
However, critics argue that allowing industry players to influence the rules creates a conflict of interest. Pat Thomas of Beyond GM warned, “The companies involved in helping the FSA draw up these regulations are the ones most likely to benefit from deregulation.”
The UK government supports lab-grown food innovation, seeing it as a way to boost the economy and create jobs. Firms like Ivy Farm Technologies in Oxford are ready to launch products such as cultivated steaks but face lengthy approval processes.
Despite claims that lab-grown foods are environmentally friendly and healthier, some remain sceptical. “These ultra-processed foods have not been in the human diet before,” Thomas noted, raising concerns over their long-term impact.