Dutch cultivated meat producer Mosa Meat has submitted its first application for market approval in the United Kingdom. The submission focuses on cultivated fat, which can be blended with plant-based ingredients to create beef-style dishes such as hamburgers, shepherd’s pie, and meatballs.
The news comes after Mosa Meat became one of eight companies to be chosen for the UK Food Standards Agency’s regulatory sandbox for cultivated meat and seafood. The initiative, claimed to be the first of its kind in Europe, has received £1.6 million in government funding and aims to accelerate the authorisation process for novel proteins.
“We are thankful to the Food Standards Agency for engaging in valuable presubmission consultations with our food safety team,” said Maarten Bosch, CEO of Mosa Meat. “We included their valuable feedback and have submitted our cultivated beef fat dossier for formal review. In essence, the regulatory sandbox is already making an impact on attracting innovative companies like ours to the UK market.”
Building a diverse and resilient food system
In 2013, Mosa Meat made headlines when it unveiled the world’s first cultivated beef burger. Since then, the company has made significant progress towards commercialisation, including requesting market authorisation for its cultivated fat in the EU and Switzerland.
In January, Mosa Meat launched a crowdfunding campaign to accelerate its research and development, secure regulatory approvals, and support the marketing and production of its first consumer-ready burgers. The company raised €1.5 million in just 24 minutes, and reached more than 150% of its target within a day.
“Our initial products will combine cultivated and plant-based ingredients, leveraging our in-house expertise in both areas,” said Bosch. “Mosa Meat remains committed to building a more diverse and resilient food system — one that satisfies global demand while being kind to the planet.”
