The Netherlands-based think tank Ministry of Future Affairs has launched a regulatory sandbox called New Foods RegLab to help startups navigate the pre-submission process for novel food approvals, including cultivated meat and precision-fermented proteins. This initiative responds to the European Commission’s proposal to exclude novel foods from EU food and feed regulatory sandboxes. The sandbox, inspired by the UK’s model, offers pre-submission advice and aims to identify gaps in the novel foods framework. It will involve 10 startups engaging with regulatory experts over two days, with findings shared anonymously with the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the EU Commission. The think tank argues that delays in novel food approvals stem from knowledge transfer and process design issues, not regulatory rules, and proposes enhanced collaboration mechanisms under the Biotech Acts to improve regulatory learning and support food safety and innovation.
Source: European Think Tank Launches Regulatory Sandbox for Novel Food Startups
