⚖️ Regulatory updates

Regulatory frameworks for novel food ingredients are evolving on both sides of the Atlantic. In the US, the GRAS system is under review, with potential changes including the elimination of self-affirmed GRAS status and increased oversight from federal agencies. In parallel, Europe is beginning to clear paths for cultivated ingredients, initially through pet food, providing a glimpse of how regulatory acceptance may develop for cellular agriculture and other emerging technologies.

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Regulatory Shifts in the US: GRAS Under Review

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• The regulatory landscape, particularly in the US, is evolving rapidly, with many updates (see table below) and mounting political attention on food safety.
• The situation remains complex, especially around the GRAS system, which may soon undergo significant revamp:
  • Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (RFK), the US Secretary of Health and Human Services, directed the FDA to revise its GRAS (Generally Recognised As Safe) pathway and explore eliminating the self-affirmed GRAS status.
  • Other key measures include tightening supplement regulation, and splitting the FDA to separate drug and food oversight.

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Regulatory Shifts in EU: Pet Food Leads for Cellular Agriculture

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• Europe is opening a path for cultivated ingredients via pet food:
  • Meatly, a UK-based startup which was the first to get authorisation in Europe to sell ingredients made through cellular agriculture, is now selling cultivated chicken dog snacks in UK retail shops.
  • BioCraft Pet Nutrition, a US-based startup with a lab in Vienna, received registration from Austrian authorities to sell its cultivated mouse meat as a pet food ingredient in the European Union.

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Recent regulatory updates: December 2024 → April 2025

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💼 Government support + tariff evolution & their impact

🇺🇸 US

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The US Department of Defense Awards $60M in Biomanufacturing Grants

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• Under its Bioindustrial Manufacturing Program, the US Department of Defense granted funding to 34 companies, including several precision fermentation startups:
  • The EVERY Company, a US-based startup producing animal-free egg proteins using precision fermentation, received $2M to study the feasibility of a US-based precision fermentation facility for its egg proteins and explore military applications.
  • Perfect Day, a US-based startup producing precision-fermented whey proteins, received $1.24M.
  • Cauldron, an Australian startup developing a “hyper-fermentation” process, received $1.76M to plan a commercial-scale precision fermentation in the US.
  • Liberation Labs, a US-based startup building a large-scale precision fermentation facility in the US, received $1.4M to scale up its operations.
• In biomass fermentation, Nature’s Fynd, a US-based startup, received $1.38M to plan a facility to grow its fungi-based protein.

**Green Queen & Vegconomist**