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The UK’s Food Standards Agency (FSA), in collaboration with Food Standards Scotland (FSS), has released the country’s first safety guidance for cell-cultivated products (CCPs), commonly known as lab-grown meat.

CCPs are foods created by growing animal or plant cells into edible products, bypassing traditional farming methods. The FSA and FSS’s CCP Sandbox Programme currently focuses on products derived from animal cells.

The guidance clarifies that these products are considered of animal origin, meaning businesses must comply with existing food safety regulations during production. It also outlines procedures for assessing allergenic risks and nutritional quality as part of the approval process.

Thomas Vincent, deputy director of innovation at the FSA, said: “Our new guidance provides clarity for businesses, helping them to understand and correctly demonstrate to UK food regulators how their products are safe".

"Specifically, this guidance ensures that companies have assessed potential allergenic risks and that they are nutritionally appropriate before they can be authorised for sale. Consumers can be reassured that these innovative new foods will meet the same rigorous safety standards as conventional foods. The Sandbox programme is allowing us to fast-track regulatory knowledge to reduce barriers for emerging food technologies without compromising on safety standards.”

Developed under the Engineering Biology Sandbox Fund, the guidance aims to support innovation while maintaining safety standards.

The FSA and FSS plan to release further guidance on cell-cultivated products throughout 2026.