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New Food Standards For Lab-grown Meat – Expert Reaction
Food regulators want to streamline how they assess the growing range of lab-grown foods, starting with cell-cultured quail meat.
Instead of going through the process of approving each new cell-cultured food individually as a novel food, Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) proposes to establish clear standards that any cell-cultured food must comply with.
As part of its assessment, FSANZ recommends labelling these foods as either ‘cell-cultured’ or ‘cell-cultivated’ to help consumers make informed choices.
The Science Media Centre asked experts to comment.
Dr. Meike Rombach, Senior Lecturer in Horticultural Marketing, Lincoln University, comments:
“FSANZ’s move to approve cell-cultured quail as food marks a pivotal shift, but it raises critical questions for growers and consumers.
“For traditional meat producers, particularly small-scale farmers, this may be seen as a concern, as they may worry about their livelihoods or changes/ potential disruptions in supply chain grids.
“The experience of other countries highlights potential challenges. In Italy, the government has proposed banning cell-cultured meat entirely, citing concerns over food heritage and cultural identity. Similarly, in France, strong advocacy for traditional agriculture and cuisine has spurred resistance to lab-grown products. These examples underscore how deeply food innovations can clash with established cultural and economic systems.
“Aotearoa’s own food production, deeply tied to its natural environment and farming heritage, could face similar tensions if cell-cultured products are not introduced thoughtfully.
“From a consumer standpoint, scepticism around cell-cultured food remains significant. While FSANZ’s safety assessment and labelling requirements aim to build trust, questions about production transparency and long-term health impacts persist. Terms like “cell-cultured” may not fully inform consumers, leading to confusion or backlash. Moreover, will these products be affordable, or will they remain niche options for affluent, sustainability-conscious buyers?
“These issues highlight the need for inclusive dialogue between innovators, traditional producers, and consumers. Policymakers must balance innovation with cultural preservation and equitable economic strategies, ensuring cell-cultured foods align with sustainability goals and public values.”
No conflicts of interest.
Prof. Steve Flint, Professor of Food Safety and Microbiology, Massey University, comments:
“We probably do need regulations for cell cultured foods. We have regulations for other types of food so it makes sense to have some guidelines for these types of foods too.
“From my perspective, the risks associated with such foods are likely to be much less than foods made from traditional raw materials as they will be produced under more controlled conditions than standard foods. Basically, most foods are produced from raw material that will contain contamination from an animal or farm. Cell cultured foods will not have that risk from contaminated raw material that we face with most of the foods that we eat.”
No conflicts of interest declared.
Distinguished Professor Phil Bremer, Department of Food Science, University of Otago; and Chief Scientist, New Zealand Food Safety Science & Research Centre, comments:
“The proposal by Food Safety Australia New Zealand, to provide a clearer regulatory framework for the production of cell based foods, should not be seen as a reduction in the level of food safety assurance required. Rather it is means of ensuring that these products meet the same standards as all other foods produced in Australia and New Zealand.
“Cell based food producers will need to be able to demonstrate that they: understand the risks associated with their products and have validated, monitored approaches in place which reduce the risks to an acceptable level, operate in appropriately managed processing facilities, have appropriate food safety testing testing regimes, and use approved food handling practices.
“The food industry, researchers and regulators have an excellent history of working together to ensure the safety of foods produced in Australia and New Zealand and there is no reason to think that the proposed changes will threaten this record.
“The focus should be on gaining a better understanding of the specific risks that may be associated with the production of cell based foods and ensuring that the new risks as well as one we are familiar with such as the possible presence of bacterial or viral pathogens or chemical contaminants are well managed.”
No conflicts of interest.
Science Media Centre NZ
Our aim is to promote accurate, evidence-based reporting on science and technology by helping the media work more closely with the scientific community.
The Science Media Centre is New Zealand's only trusted, independent source of information for the media on all issues related to science. Thousands of news stories providing context from and quoting New Zealand researchers have been published as a direct result of our work.
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