Lab-grown food may be introduced to UK markets within the next two years, according to the Food Standards Agency (FSA).

The agency has committed to completing a full safety assessment of two cell-cultivated products (CCPs) during this period. To ensure these products meet safety standards before being sold to consumers, the FSA has launched a groundbreaking regulatory programme, funded by the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology’s Engineering Biology Sandbox Fund.

CCPs are a new category of food created without traditional farming methods, such as raising livestock or cultivating plants and grains. Instead, animal or plant cells are grown in a controlled environment to produce food. Currently, no CCPs have been approved for human consumption in the UK.

FSA chief scientific adviser Professor Robin May emphasized the importance of safety in food innovation, stating:

"By prioritising consumer safety and ensuring that new foods, like CCPs, meet high standards, we can support innovation while offering consumers more choices."

A team of scientists and regulatory experts will collaborate with academic institutions, industry leaders, and trade organisations on the two-year programme.

Science Minister Lord Vallance highlighted the economic and environmental potential of CCPs, saying:

"By supporting the safe development of cell-cultivated products, we’re accelerating the UK’s leadership in sustainable food production. This initiative will help bring products to market faster while strengthening consumer confidence."

Several companies from the UK and abroad are participating in the programme, including UK-based Hoxton Farms, Roslin Technologies, and Uncommon Bio; BlueNalu (US); Mosa Meat (Netherlands); and Gourmey, Vital Meat (France), and Vow (Australia).

Hoxton Farms, founded in 2020, has developed technology to grow animal fat products that replicate the taste and texture of traditional meat. Meanwhile, Roslin Technologies, launched in 2022, focuses on producing lab-grown pet food.

In February, a cultivated meat-based dog treat was introduced at Pets at Home, marking what the retailer claimed as a world first.

The UK became the first European country to approve cultivated meat for pet food in July last year when Meatly’s lab-grown chicken received approval from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Animal and Plant Health Agency.

Meatly claims its cultivated chicken, derived from a single sample of cells taken from an egg, could provide an indefinite supply of pet food without requiring the raising or slaughtering of animals.