Cell-cultured meat is one step closer to hitting the market

The Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) Board has approved cell-cultured quail, also known as lab-grown quail.

Australian company Vow developed the quail, which is the first meat to be approved by FSANZ. Food ministers are the next step in the approvals process, and they will now have 60 days to consider the FSANZ decision.

If the ministers don’t request a review, Australia and New Zealand will join a small group of countries – including the United States and Singapore – approving food made from cultured animal cells.

This result will also allow the establishment of clear regulatory framework for future lab-grown meat applications in the Food Standards Code.

FSANZ’s approval followed extensive scientific assessment and two rounds of public consultation on Application A1269 – Cultured Quail as a novel food.

Under the approval, lab-grown foods will be labelled as ‘cell-cultured’ or ‘cell-cultivated’ to support informed consumer choice.

Singapore’s food regulator approved Vow’s cultured quail cells for sale in March this year.

Locally, Vow passed the first step in the approval process in December, with FSANZ saying the product was genetically stable with low bacteria-related risks.