Cell-based food production, also known as cellular agriculture, involves culturing cells isolated from animals followed by processing to produce food products that are comparable to the corresponding animal versions, such as meat, poultry, aquatic products, dairy products and eggs. Cell-based food products may be called with a modifier such as "cultured" or "cultivated" followed by the name of the commodity, such as meat, chicken, fish and so forth. 

As the global demand for proteins grows, many in the food sector are looking into opportunities to expand the scope of diverse sources of proteins that can be both environmentally sustainable and nutritionally sound. The commercial landscape for cell-based food is fast expanding with various companies developing assorted products around the world, with the first cell-based chicken nuggets approved in Singapore since December 2020.

Many food safety authorities are working, often in tandem, to identify and address the potential food safety implications so that appropriate regulatory frameworks can be set up to protect consumers. FAO together with the competent authorities engages many other stakeholders, including researchers who study the food safety issues of cell-based food, private cell-based food developers and producers, and non-governmental organizations to collaborate in this space to advance our collective knowledge.

FAO/WHO Webinar to launch the milestone publication: On 5 April 2023, the FAO and WHO officially launch a new publication entitled “Food safety aspects of cell-based food” in the joint FAO/WHO webinar. The publication includes the results of an FAO-led expert consultation that was held in Singapore in November 2022, where a comprehensive food safety hazard identification was conducted. Hazard identification is the first step of the formal risk assessment process. The goal of the FAO/WHO publication is to capture key food safety issues in a timely manner, before products are widely available on the world market. In this way, relevant authorities, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, will be equipped with up-to-date information and scientific knowledge on cell-based food production to consider potentially important regulatory actions and learn from experienced countries so that good practices can be shared.

It has been highlighted that cell-based foods are no longer futuristic foods. More than 100 companies/start-ups are already developing cell-based food products that are ready for commercialization and awaiting approval. Ahead of the commercial production of cell-based foods expands, it is necessary to address one of the most important issues for consumers: food safety.

Expert consultation on food safety aspects of cell-based food: Technical support to Members will start with providing sound scientific advice for informed food safety decision-making. FAO, in collaboration with WHO, held a 3.5-day expert consultation in Singapore from 1 to 4 November 2022. A global call for experts has been issued and the Technical Panel has been formed. To prepare for the expert consultation, three technical background documents have been prepared: 1) Terminologies; 2) Generic production processes; and 3) Regulatory frameworks. After the Expert Consultation, a short brief has been prepared as a Conference Room Document (CRD) for the 45th session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) on 8 November 2022. The milestone publication which includes the results of the Expert Consultation is expected to be out in the first half of 2023.

Stakeholder roundtable meeting: FAO and Ministry of Health of Israel hosted a stakeholder roundtable meeting on 7 September 2022 in Tel Aviv, Israel. A group of researchers and developers discussed ensuring the safety of cell-based foods. The speakers were selected through the open call for presenters, and they shared their experiences in cell-based production of meat (bovine, chicken, porcine), fish and other seafood as well as milk. Many participants of the meeting visited a production facility in Israel on 8 September 2022 and learned from a real-life example of the cell-based food production process as well as advanced equipment.

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Ensuring the food safety of cell-based food