University of Bath welcomes FSA as regulatory sandbox for cell-cultivated products is launched

The UK's Food Standards Agency (FSA) yesterday launched a pioneering regulatory sandbox for cell-cultivated products (CCPs) in collaboration with the Cellular Agriculture Manufacturing Hub (CARMA) at the University of Bath. The initiative, supported by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), aims to advance scientific evidence collection and streamline regulatory assessments for emerging cultivated food products.

The launch was marked by a visit from FSA Chief Scientific Adviser Professor Robin May, who met with the CARMA team led by Professor Marianne Ellis. Accompanied by Dr Joshua Ravenhill, Head of the FSA’s Cell-Cultivated Product Sandbox, the visit underscored the critical role of collaboration between regulators, academia, and industry in ensuring the safe and responsible development of cultivated foods.

CARMA, a research hub funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), is dedicated to transforming food production systems into more sustainable, efficient, and scalable models. Through the new FSA sandbox, CARMA will work alongside scientists, regulatory experts, industry leaders, and trade organizations to build a robust evidence base for future regulations governing CCPs.

Professor Robin May emphasized the importance of balancing innovation with safety. “Safe innovation is at the heart of this program. By prioritizing consumer safety and making sure new foods like CCPs are safe, we can support growth in innovative sectors. Our aim is to ultimately provide consumers with a wider choice of new food, while maintaining the highest safety standards,” he said.

Science Minister Patrick Vallance highlighted the economic and innovation potential of cultivated food technologies. “By supporting the safe development of cell-cultivated products, we’re giving businesses the confidence to innovate and accelerating the UK’s position as a global leader in sustainable food production. This work will not only help bring new products to market faster but strengthen consumer trust, supporting our Plan for Change and creating new economic opportunities across the country.”

The regulatory sandbox is designed to enhance the efficiency of CCP assessments, allowing the FSA to evaluate new food products more quickly and rigorously. Dr Ravenhill highlighted the significance of this approach. “The aim of this sandbox is to allow us, the FSA, to ensure the consumer safety of these new products as well as being able to assess them much more quickly than we can at the moment. By providing more clarity to industry, we can improve confidence in the UK as a place to do business.”

Through the program, the FSA is committed to completing the full safety assessment of two CCPs within the next two years, setting a precedent for efficient regulatory pathways that encourage innovation without compromising food safety.

As part of the launch, the FSA has announced the eight cell-cultivated product companies selected to participate in the sandbox initiative. These include Hoxton Farms (UK), BlueNalu (USA), Mosa Meat (The Netherlands), GOURMEY (France), Roslin Technologies (UK), Uncommon Bio (UK), Vital Meat (France), and Vow (Australia). These companies represent a diverse range of technologies, processes, and ingredients, ensuring a broad spectrum of regulatory insights as the programme progresses.

The sandbox will also see the FSA working closely with academic and industry partners, including the National Alternative Protein Innovation Centre (NAPIC) and the Bezos Centre for Sustainable Protein. The Alternative Proteins Association (APA) and The Good Food Institute Europe (GFI) will play key roles in industry engagement and policy discussions.

The UK has seemingly positioned itself at the forefront of alternative protein innovation, and the establishment of the FSA sandbox for cell-cultivated products marks a significant step in aligning scientific advancements with regulatory frameworks. Professor Marianne Ellis, Director of CARMA, expressed enthusiasm about the initiative. “Through the DSIT-funded FSA sandbox program—led by Dr Ravenhill—we will collect and debate critical scientific evidence for the safe and responsible development of cell-cultivated products. We’re delighted to be working with government, academics, and industry partners on this important area for future food systems.”