The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has published a new package of guidance aimed at helping businesses developing cell-cultivated foods navigate the regulatory process and bring safe, innovative products to market.
Issued in partnership with Food Standards Scotland (FSS), the four guidance documents form the latest output from the Cell-Cultivated Products Sandbox Programme, a Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT)-funded initiative running until February 2027.
The programme is designed to help regulators and industry develop a shared understanding of how existing food regulations apply to cell-cultivated products, which are produced by growing cells taken from animals rather than through conventional livestock farming. The sandbox programme focuses on products made from animal cells.
The latest publications cover food hygiene requirements, scientific standards for product identity and microbiology, practical advice on preparing stronger novel food authorisation applications, and supplementary guidance on conducting taste trials for novel foods during research and development.
According to the FSA, the guidance is intended to provide businesses with greater regulatory certainty while ensuring consumer safety remains central to the approval process.
Dr Thomas Vincent, deputy director of innovation at the FSA, said the documents were designed to make the route to market “more transparent and efficient”.
“Cell-cultivated products represent a genuinely new frontier for the food industry, and we want businesses to have the clearest possible picture of what is required to bring safe products to market,” he said.
“This guidance reflects the knowledge we have built through engagement with industry and academia through the Sandbox and is designed to make the path to authorisation more transparent and efficient.
“Consumer safety is non-negotiable, and these documents are ultimately about reducing barriers for emerging food technologies without compromising on safety standards.”
Professor Susan Jebb, chair of the FSA, said innovative foods could contribute to a healthier and more resilient food system while supporting economic growth.
“That potential will only be realised if businesses have the regulatory clarity to invest and the confidence to scale up,” she said.
“This guidance provides practical support that helps innovative companies move forward, backed by a science-led approach that protects public health.”
The newly published guidance includes advice on applying food hygiene legislation to cell-cultivated products, scientific requirements for characterising cell lines and managing microbiological risks, recommendations for improving market authorisation applications, and additional guidance on businesses' responsibilities when carrying out taste trials.
The Sandbox Programme also offers a Business Support Service, enabling companies developing cell-cultivated products to engage directly with FSA and FSS regulatory experts until February 2027.
The FSA issued the UK’s first safety guidance for cell-cultivated products in December 2025, marking a major step towards regulating emerging “lab-grown” food technologies.