Review Says Animal Testing May Not Be Appropriate for Evaluating Safety of Cultivated Foods
The APAC Regulatory Coordination Forum has published a review paper evaluating whether whole-food animal toxicological studies are appropriate for testing the safety of cultivated foods and food ingredients. Scientists have reportedly raised concerns about the reliability, cost, time-intensiveness, and ethics surrounding long-term, whole-food animal feeding studies. Alternative, non-animal-based testing methods are claimed to provide more relevant, specific, timely, and humane solutions for safety evaluation. The review paper brings together insights …
Webtalk: Transforming Food Systems – Insights and Roadmap for 2026 | update #19
The international business webtalk series ‘update’ discusses the most pressing issues of the ongoing protein transition. Based on the latest news, data, and facts, the future of the industry will be put forward and discussed with key market players in this series of talks. Transforming Food Systems – Insights and Roadmap for 2026 December 11th, 10:30 AM CHICAGO | 5:30 PM BERLIN | 4:30 PM LONDON Business models are evolving, political pressure is intensifying, …
India Opens State-of-the-Art Animal Stem Cell Biobank That Could Benefit Cultivated Meat Producers
A state-of-the-art Animal Stem Cell Biobank and Animal Stem Cell Laboratory has been opened at the National Institute of Animal Biotechnology (NIAB) in Hyderabad, India. Described as the first of its kind in the country, the biobank was inaugurated by Union Minister of State Dr. Jitendra Singh earlier this month. The facility spans 9,300 sq ft and was constructed at a cost of ₹1.85 crore (around $213,000). The site is …
Te Protejo Reveals Interactive Map of Non-Animal Testing Labs Across Latin America
Te Protejo, an organization focused on promoting cruelty-free science, has developed an interactive map that outlines the growing network of laboratories in Latin America utilizing alternative methods to animal testing. The map serves as a comprehensive resource, showcasing over 20 laboratories across the region that are advancing non-animal research methods, primarily in sectors such as biomedicine, cosmetics, and agroindustry. The map is a result of extensive research conducted by Te …
Webtalk: Rethinking Food – APAC as a Living Lab for the Future | update #15
The international business webtalk series ‘update’ discusses the most pressing issues of the ongoing protein transition. Based on the latest news, data, and facts, the future of the industry will be put forward and discussed with key market players in this series of talks. Rethinking Food – Singapore as a Living Lab for the Future August 21st, 10:30 AM Berlin | 4:30 PM Singapore | 5:30 PM Tokyo Alternative Protein and Novel food offer a …
Self-Renewing Pig Fat Cell Line from Roslin Institute Could Resolve Key Bottleneck in Cultivated Meat Sector
Researchers at the Roslin Institute, part of the University of Edinburgh, have developed a line of self-renewing pig fat cells that could support large-scale cultivated meat production by enabling consistent, efficient generation of fat tissue without genetic modification. The cells, designated as FaTTy, are derived from early-stage pig stem cells and exhibit the rare ability to both proliferate indefinitely and reliably differentiate into fat cells. This capacity addresses a long-standing …
Eight Companies Selected for UK’s First Cell-Cultivated Food Safety Programme
The UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) has selected eight companies to participate in a two-year regulatory programme focused on evaluating the safety of cell-cultivated products (CCPs). The initiative is funded by the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology’s Engineering Biology Sandbox Fund and will involve collaboration with academic institutions and industry representatives. The programme is designed to gather scientific evidence on the production and safety of CCPs, which will inform …
Japanese Scientists Develop Low-Cost Medium to Grow Muscle Cells Without Animal Serum
Japanese scientists have developed a new co-culturing system using rat cells and cyanobacteria to create a low-cost alternative to animal serum for cell growth. Fetal bovine serum has contamination risks and waste accumulation, and is very costly. In addition, it does not align with the promise of producing meat without killing animals. Rat liver cells can also secrete the proteins (growth factors) needed for muscle cell growth, providing a serum alternative …
NUS Researchers Use Sugar Cubes for Cheap, Scalable Production of Rye Scaffolds for Cultivated Meat
Large-scale production of edible scaffolds and effective culturing methods for fat tissues — both crucial for replicating the texture, flavor, and nutritional value of meat — remain a technical challenge for the commercialization of cultivated meat. Scaffolds provide structural support for cells to multiply and develop into tissues. But they are typically made from synthetic or animal-based materials, which are expensive and inedible. But a research team led by Professor …
Rostock University Explores Use of Stem Cells for Meat Cultivation with Help from Innocent Meat
Rostock University Medical Centre in Germany is involved in research into cultivated meat in order to strengthen sustainable production and reduce agricultural emissions. The research project is being funded by the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture as part of the innovation funding programme until 2025. The Clinic and Polyclinic for Cardiac Surgery, the Research Laboratory for Biomechanics and Implant Technology and the Orthopaedic Clinic and Polyclinic at Rostock University …