Growing interest in cell-based food: Global webinar report

Over a thousand participants from more than 75 countries joined the landmark publication launch webinar on food safety aspects of cell-based food, jointly organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) in April 2023. This strong turnout underscores the rapidly growing interests in the topic of cell-based food.

This week, FAO has released the joint report of the webinar, which provides a comprehensive summary of the discussions that took place during the webinar. This webinar touched upon various aspects of the topic, including regulatory activities that are related to food safety, the outcomes from the first global food safety hazard identification for cell-based food conducted by FAO and WHO, and insightful country experiences shared by Qatar and Singapore. A panel discussion that has invited representatives from Argentina, New Zealand, the United States of America and Zambia was also summarized in the report, highlighting the importance of international collaboration, knowledge sharing and stakeholder engagement.

The report features key insights shared by the webinar speakers, such as the findings of the expert consultation that showed how most hazards identified in the cell-based food production were similar to those found in conventional food production processes. It also emphasized the substantial adequacy of existing regulatory frameworks in many countries for managing cell-based foods. Underscoring FAO commitment to providing technical assistance to its members, the report also has documented an interactive session with the webinar participants, addressing their questions on public reactions, nutritional equivalency, approval timelines, and issues related to allergens.

The report delves into the multifaceted landscape of cell-based food regulations with key take-home messages for food safety competent authorities, emphasizing the importance of global knowledge sharing and technical preparedness for food safety assurance. The report serves as an invaluable resource for all the stakeholders in understanding the current state of the art around regulatory frameworks in the dynamic realm of food safety aspects of cell-based food.
The initiative has been supported by multiple donors and collaborators from various parts of the world; and in particular, a substantial financial support has been provided by the governments of Australia and Canada and their contributions are herewith gratefully acknowledged.

Download the webinar report

References

FAO & WHO. 2024. Food safety aspects of cell-based food – Report of the publication launch webinar, 7 April 2023. Rome and Geneva, Switzerland. https://doi.org/10.4060/cc9838en

FAO & WHO. 2023. Food safety aspects of cell-based food. Rome. https://doi.org/10.4060/cc4855en

FAO/WHO release report identifying food safety hazards of cell-based food (5 April 2023). https://www.fao.org/food-safety/news/news-details/en/c/1636238/

For more information

FAO Food Safety and Quality Webpage: Cell-based food and precision fermentation