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 …
uFraction8 Secures £3.4M to Optimise Cell and Biomass Production
uFraction8, a Scottish biotech engineering company with a fully owned subsidiary in Poland, has secured £3.4 million in an investment round led by Foresight Group. The round also includes funding from the University of Edinburgh’s in-house venture investment fund Old College Capital, along with Scottish Enterprise, Alwyn Capital, Thia Ventures, and a grant from the Polish Agency for Enterprise Development. uFraction8 has developed microfiltration technology designed to optimise cell and …
Meatly: “As the Number of Cultivated Meat Companies Proliferates, We Hope to Set the Standard for the Industry”
Meatly is a cultivated meat company which became the first in Europe to receive regulatory approval after gaining clearance to sell cultivated chicken for pet food in the UK last year. The company achieved this milestone with a team of ten after raising just £3.5 million. Meatly also recently became the first company to be certified under C-Label, a new trademark for cultivated food products launched by V-Label. The certification …
Analysis: UK Government Has Invested £75M in Alternative Protein Innovation
A new analysis by GFI Europe has found that the UK government has invested £75 million in alternative protein innovation. This is more than half the total amount recommended by the National Food Strategy, a 2021 report led by businessman Henry Dimbleby. When the National Food Strategy was first published, there were concerns that the UK was at risk of falling behind other countries; however, GFI Europe says this is …
Meatly & THE PACK Launch “World’s First” Pet Food Containing Cultivated Meat
UK cultivated meat producer Meatly has partnered with plant-based pet food brand THE PACK to launch what is claimed to be the world’s first pet food made with cultivated meat. Called Chick Bites, the product combines plant-based ingredients with Meatly’s cultivated chicken, providing an alternative to traditional dog treats. A limited release of the product will be available at Pets at Home Brentford, London, from February 7. Pets at Home …
RSSL Establishes “UK’s First” Novel Foods Expert Network in Collaboration With ICL & The Supplant Company
Food and life science contract research organisation RSSL has announced that it will establish what is said to be the UK’s first Novel Foods Expert Network for Regulatory Challenges (NFX UK). To establish the network, RSSL has secured funding from the UK’s national innovation agency, Innovate UK. NFX UK will be developed in partnership with Imperial College London and The Supplant Company, with three primary objectives: Act as a central …
Four UK Alternative Protein Centres to Work Together After Signing Memorandum of Understanding
Four UK-based alternative protein centres — the Bezos Centre for Sustainable Protein (BCSP), the Microbial Food Hub, the Cellular Agriculture Manufacturing Hub (CARMA), and the National Alternative Protein Centre (NAPIC) — have announced their intention to collaborate after signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). Together, the centres will work to drive innovation in sustainable, nutritious, and accessible alternative proteins. The MoU will combine expertise in cellular agriculture, microbial protein innovation, …
GFI and Accenture Release Precision Fermentation Consumer Research Across Five Markets
A recent study by the Good Food Institute (GFI), conducted in collaboration with Accenture, has examined consumer attitudes and preferences toward precision fermentation (PF) products in five key markets: France, Germany, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The research explores how consumers perceive PF-produced dairy and egg ingredients, offering insights into effective communication strategies for this emerging food technology. Precision fermentation and its applications Precision fermentation uses microorganisms, …
Guest Post: Making Cultivated Meat Scalable and Sustainable with New Bioprocess Technology
The global food system is at a pivotal juncture, with growing populations, environmental pressures, and rising demand for sustainable, ethical protein sources converging to create both challenges and opportunities. Cultivated meat, a promising innovation, allows the production of real animal protein without the environmental burden. However, scaling cultivated meat to commercial viability while ensuring food safety and reducing environmental impact remains a key industry challenge. In the following guest post, …
Qkine Launches Animal-Origin-Free & Food-Grade Growth Factors for Cellular Agriculture
Qkine, a producer of growth factors for cultivated meat and cellular agriculture, has launched a new product range. The new growth factors are animal-origin-free, food-grade, and subject to extensive quality analysis. They are produced using an efficient microbial fermentation process and provide proteins from agriculturally relevant species. The growth factors have been designed to meet the needs of customers developing dossiers for submission to regulatory authorities or conducting R&D focused …