UK safety guidance on cell-cultivated products

Safety of animal cell-cultivated products

The Food Standards Agency (FSA), in partnership with Food Standards Scotland (FSS), has published the UK's first safety guidance for cell-cultivated products.

Cell-cultivated products are new foods that don't involve traditional farming such as rearing livestock or growing plants and grains. They are made by taking cells from plants or animals, which are then grown into food.

The guidance came out of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology-funded pioneering Sandbox Programme that is working on safe innovation and supporting the safe development of products cultivated from animal cells.

So far, the guidance covers:

• applying the hygiene regulations to cell-cultivated products
• allergenicity and nutritional aspects of cell-cultivated products

This guidance classifies animal cell-based products as products of animal origin and aims to provide clarity for UK businesses, helping them to understand and correctly demonstrate to UK food regulators how their products are safe.

Further FSA and FSS guidance for cell-cultivated products is expected throughout 2026.

Cell-cultivated products status in Northern Ireland

In Northern Ireland, novel foods and processes, including cell-cultivated products, must undergo a safety assessment and authorisation before being placed on the market. Businesses seeking to place their products on the NI market should follow EU rules and the European Food Safety Authority's assessment process.

Under Windsor Framework arrangements, regulated products (including cell cultivated products) authorised by the FSA in Great Britain may be placed on the Northern Ireland market if eligible for, and moved through, the Northern Ireland Retail Movement Scheme.

First published 5 December 2025