CMSI Phase II: International Regulatory & Government Perspectives

Gathering insights from governmental representatives around matters of safety for cultured meat.

2022 - 2023

This project was the second phase of the Cultured Meat Safety Initiative (CMSI), our ongoing joint initiative with Vireo Advisors.

Building off the industry insights gathered in CMSI Phase I, we convened 48 governmental scientists and regulators from 15 jurisdictions around the world to identify governmental priorities for the safety methods, data, and research needed to support safety evaluation of cultured meat products to reach commercial markets worldwide.

CMSI PHASE II

Overview

To advance cellular agriculture for the public good, it was critical to create public information to guide evidence-based policymaking and regulatory decisions.

In Phase I, we answered the question “how is cultured meat made?” in the most inclusive and collaborative way possible.

In Phase II, we aimed to gather insight from the scientists and decision-makers within regulatory bodies tasked with performing safety assessments of these novel food products.

Given how differently foods can be regulated across regions, it was an important opportunity to understand multiple perspectives to consider a best path forward for future research.

CMSI PHASE II

Outcomes

48 governmental scientists and regulators from 15 jurisdictions around the world identified governmental priorities for the safety methods, data, and research needed for regulatory review of cultured meat products to reach commercial markets.

Twenty interviews, two virtual workshops, and one in-person workshop culminated in a peer reviewed publication in Foods that identifies the key safety questions and priority areas of research going forward.

In addition to research priorities, participants repeatedly expressed the need for more information in the public domain to be able to evaluate any new hazards, and the need for more multi-stakeholder work going forward.

Fig 2. Research priorities identified by governmental scientists and researchers.

This key figure from the paper outlined an evidence-based path to safety assessment.

It would go on to inform the work of CMSI Phase III.

CMSI PHASE II

Progress Timeline

CMSI Phase II - International Regulatory & Government Perspectives

Oct 2022 – With the support of the Singapore Food Agency, an in-person workshop was held at the Singapore Food Safety Research Center, co-hosted by New Harvest and Vireo Advisors.

Nov 2022 – Two virtual workshops were held with governmental scientists and regulators, co-hosted by New Harvest and Vireo Advisors.

Apr 2023 – Findings are published as a preprint while in the peer-review process.

Jul 2023 – The peer-reviewed publication is published as an open access article in the journal Foods.

Oct 2023 - New project launches out of CMSI: Methods Development for Measuring Growth Factors. A collaboration between Vireo Advisors, Multus, Aberytswyth University in Wales, Extracellular, and the British Standards Institute, this project aims to develop and validate analytical methods for reliably measuring growth factors that can be used to estimate exposure levels when consumed in cultured meat and seafood products.

CMSI PHASE II

Collaborators

This initiative was conceived of and carried out in partnership with Dr. Jo Anne Shatkin and Dr. Kimberly Ong of Vireo Advisors, an expert advisory consultancy focused on the safe and sustainable commercialization of new technologies.

The publication was authored by Kimberly J. Ong, Yadira Tejeda-Saldana, Breanna Duffy, Dwayne Holmes, Kora Kukk, and Jo Anne Shatkin.

CMSI PHASE II

Funders

This initiative was made possible thanks to the generous contributions of five visionary individuals: Soroush Pour, Lejjy Gafour, Andras Forgacs, Gabor Forgacs, and Kristin Ellis, and to the 23 corporate donors listed below.

The following 23 companies and investors contributed to New Harvest in 2022. At the 2022 New Harvest conference, it was decided that their contributions would be earmarked entirely towards this important collective action.

Vow Food

Finless Foods

CULT Food Science