ProVeg hails application for EU approval of cultivated foie gras 

French company seeks approval for product made from cultivated duck cells

Food awareness organisation, ProVeg International, has today welcomed the very first application for EU regulatory approval of cultivated meat. 

French food startup, Gourmey, has submitted an application to the European Commission for approval of cultivated foie gras, one of five submissions that Gourmey has filed around the world including Singapore, the United States, the UK and Switzerland.

“We really welcome this development as it means the EU offers a new choice for those who enjoy eating foie gras worldwide but are concerned about the way it is produced conventionally,” Julia Martin, Cellular Agriculture Lead at ProVeg, said.

“Cultivated foods also play an important role in ensuring that Europe strengthens its food security by reducing its dependence on imported meat that is often produced to lower environmental standards,” Martin said.

ProVeg has previously urged the EU not to waste the huge opportunities offered by cultivated meat. An application was already submitted in Europe a year ago, but in the non-EU state of Switzerland, by Aleph Farms.

The Gourmey application will be assessed according to the EU’s Novel Foods regulation, which is the toughest in the world and the gold standard for food safety.

“This very first EU application raises the prospect of new revenue opportunities for European farmers to grow the feedstock needed for cells to be produced on a large scale,” Martin said. 

“Cultivated meat will demonstrate how Innovation and conventional farming can support each other to improve the food system and potentially make farming more attractive for the next generation,” she added.

ENDS

Notes to Editors

For media inquiries, email Peter Rixon at media@proveg.org

For scientific data about the benefits of plant-based eating, see our Food System Data website.

About ProVeg International

Our vision is a world where everyone chooses delicious and healthy food that is good for all humans, animals, and our planet. ProVeg International is a food awareness organisation with the mission to replace 50% of animal products globally with plant-based and cultivated foods by 2040.