The EU’s proposed Biotech Act aims to modernize novel food regulations, potentially accelerating approvals for cultivated meat and precision fermentation products. Currently, the EU’s stringent process, managed by the European Food Safety Authority, lags behind the US and Asia, pushing startups like Meatable and Vital Meat to target Singapore first. Precision fermentation, highlighted for its transformative potential, could benefit from an annual EU Food Fermentation Conference. Despite EFSA’s recent procedural improvements, delays persist, with companies like Impossible Foods facing decade-long hurdles due to ingredient scrutiny. The UK and Switzerland, however, are emerging as faster alternatives for approvals. The Biotech Act, set for 2026, seeks to enhance competitiveness, sustainability, and food security while addressing public skepticism through better communication. This overhaul could finally resolve the EU’s novel food deadlock, fostering innovation in alternative proteins. (480 characters)
Source: Could the EU’s Biotech Act Finally Break the Novel Food Approval Deadlock?