Health

Mosa Meat seeks UK approval for cultivated beef fat to enhance plant-based products

Saturday, 17 May 2025 12:05AM UTC

Mosa Meat has submitted a request for market authorisation of cultivated beef fat in the UK, aiming to improve flavour in plant-based meat substitutes. The move, supported by the FSA’s Regulatory Sandbox programme, marks a significant regulatory milestone and underlines the company’s push for innovation in sustainable protein.

Mosa Meat has made a significant move in the burgeoning field of alternative proteins by submitting a request for market authorisation in the UK for cultivated beef fat. This ingredient, which aims to enhance the flavour profile of plant-based meat substitutes, such as burgers and meatballs, represents a crucial step in Mosa Meat’s strategy to broaden its offerings in a competitive market.

This submission to the UK’s Food Standards Agency (FSA) is timely, as Mosa Meat is part of the FSA's innovative Regulatory Sandbox programme. This two-year initiative was designed to foster direct collaboration between the FSA and cultivated meat companies, facilitating a better understanding of regulatory requirements and the science behind cell-cultivated products. Dr. Mark Post, the Chief Scientific Officer at Mosa Meat, has expressed that such public-private partnerships are vital for accelerating advancements in cultivated meat technologies. By engaging with the FSA through this programme, Mosa Meat aims to refine its regulatory pathways, ensuring that its products not only comply with safety standards but also meet the evolving expectations of consumers.

The overarching goal of the sandbox initiative is to enable a smoother regulatory process for cultivated meat products. As Robert Jones, Mosa Meat's Vice President of Global Public Affairs, highlighted, the tailored consultations and workshops provided through this programme will help businesses navigate regulatory challenges, ultimately aiming to expedite the approval timeline for new ingredients. This is particularly important given the complexities associated with introducing novel food ingredients to the market.

On the European front, Mosa Meat is also seeking approval from the European Commission and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) for the same cultivated beef fat. The company’s CEO, Maarten Bosch, pointed out that fat is essential for delivering the rich culinary experience consumers expect from traditional beef. This dual approach in both the UK and EU signifies a strategic move to establish a foothold in key markets while navigating the intensive regulatory landscapes that govern novel foods.

Mosa Meat’s pursuit of cultivated fat as its first novel food submission in the EU is noteworthy. The decision to focus on cultivated fat stems from the EU's regulatory structure, which mandates that cultured ingredients be evaluated individually under the Novel Foods approval procedure. This process could take up to 18 months, marking a crucial step for Mosa Meat in laying the groundwork for future cultivated meat products.

As the cultivated meat sector continues to evolve, the developments surrounding Mosa Meat’s submissions reflect broader industry trends towards innovation and sustainability. By creating products that combine cultivated fat with plant-based ingredients, the company is poised to offer a more appealing alternative to conventional meat, which could play a pivotal role in addressing the growing consumer demand for sustainable protein sources.

In conclusion, Mosa Meat’s request for market authorisation for cultivated beef fat, coupled with its active participation in the FSA's Regulatory Sandbox programme, positions the company as a leader in the rapidly advancing cultivated meat industry. As the conversation around food production and sustainability intensifies, Mosa Meat’s efforts could significantly impact how consumers perceive and adopt alternative protein sources.

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Source: Noah Wire Services

More on this

https://www.thegrocer.co.uk/news/mosa-meat-requests-uk-market-authorisation-for-cultivated-beef-fat/704579.article - Please view link - unable to able to access data
https://mosameat.com/blog/mosa-meat-joins-landmark-fsa-sandbox-for-cultivated-meat-in-the-uk - Mosa Meat has been selected by the UK's Food Standards Agency (FSA) to participate in its two-year Regulatory Sandbox program. This initiative aims to facilitate open dialogue and co-learning about cultivated meat, streamlining the regulatory process for novel cell-cultivated products. The program allows Mosa Meat to collaborate closely with the FSA, sharing scientific insights and refining regulatory pathways to ensure these products meet the highest standards. Dr. Mark Post, Mosa Meat's Chief Scientific Officer, emphasized the importance of public-private partnerships in advancing cultivated meat technologies.
https://agfundernews.com/inside-the-uk-cultivated-meat-regulatory-sandbox-with-mosa-meat-hoxton-farms-and-bluenalu - The UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) has launched a 'sandbox' program to guide the regulation of cultivated meat products. Mosa Meat, along with other companies, is participating in this initiative, which offers tailored consultations and workshops to help businesses understand regulatory requirements before submitting applications. Robert Jones, Mosa Meat's VP of global public affairs, highlighted the program's role in ensuring robust safety assessments and better-tailored regulations for cultivated meat, aiming to accelerate the UK's regulatory timeline and reduce potential delays.
https://www.retaildetail.eu/news/food/mosa-meat-wants-to-commercialise-cultured-beef-fat/ - Mosa Meat has applied to the European Commission and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) for approval to market cultivated beef fat. This ingredient is intended to enhance the flavor experience of plant-based meat substitutes, such as burgers and meatballs. CEO Maarten Bosch stated that fat is crucial for delivering the rich culinary experience consumers expect from conventional beef. The EU's Novel Foods approval procedure, which can take up to eighteen months, requires cultured ingredients to be submitted separately, marking a significant step for Mosa Meat in the European market.
https://www.foodmanufacture.co.uk/Article/2025/03/11/cultivated-meat-sandbox-programme-launched-in-uk/ - The UK's Food Standards Agency (FSA) has launched a two-year 'sandbox' program to inform the regulation of cultivated meat products. Funded by the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology’s Engineering Biology Sandbox Fund, the program aims to ensure that cell-cultivated products are safe for consumers before entering the market. A team of scientists and regulatory experts will collaborate with academic bodies, the cultivated meat industry, and trade organizations to guide the FSA and Food Standards Scotland in assessing applications from manufacturers.
https://mosameat.com/blog/submitting-our-first-eu-market-authorisation-request - Mosa Meat has submitted its first Novel Foods application to the European Commission for its cultivated beef fat. This submission is the first cultivated beef application in the EU's history. The decision to start with cultivated fat is based on the EU's regulatory structure, which reviews each novel ingredient individually. Cultivated fat is essential for delivering the taste, aroma, and mouthfeel of high-quality beef, making it a natural first step toward introducing cultivated beef to consumers.
https://vegconomist.com/ingredients/mosa-meat-eu-market-authorisation-cultivated-fat/ - Mosa Meat has submitted its first request for Novel Foods market approval in the EU, seeking authorization for its cultivated fat ingredient. The fat is designed to be blended with plant-based ingredients to create beef-style products such as hamburgers, meatballs, and bolognese. This submission is significant as it marks the second time a cultivated product has entered the EU’s Novel Foods process, with the evaluation expected to take around 18 months.

Noah Fact Check Pro

The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may warrant further investigation.

Freshness check

Score: 8

Notes: The narrative discusses Mosa Meat’s recent submission for market authorisation in the UK, which is part of ongoing efforts in the cultivated meat sector. It does not indicate any outdated information.

Quotes check

Score: 6

Notes: Direct quotes from Dr. Mark Post and Robert Jones are included but could not be verified as original or first-use due to limited online sources. The narrative does suggest recent interviews or statements.

Source reliability

Score: 9

Notes: The narrative originates from The Grocer, a reputable and well-established publication in the UK, known for its coverage of food and retail news.

Plausability check

Score: 8

Notes: The claims about Mosa Meat’s market authorisation request and engagement with regulatory bodies are plausible, given the context of the emerging cultivated meat industry. However, specific approval timelines and outcomes remain uncertain.

Overall assessment

Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): PASS

Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): HIGH

Summary: The narrative is likely accurate, supported by the credibility of The Grocer and the plausibility of Mosa Meat’s efforts in the cultivated meat sector. Limited online sources for specific quotes are the only drawback.

Mosa Meat
Cultivated meat
Food Standards Agency
Alternative proteins
Novel food