From ‘’foie gras’’ to deer antler products, the niche trend of innovations

The latest advancements in cell-based food production and precision fermentation that were shared at the stakeholder meeting held in Shanghai, China, in November 2023 have been published in the report, Cell-based food and precision fermentation – Products, safety and the future role. The meeting was a follow-up of the first stakeholder meeting held in Israel in 2022, that has been summarized in the previous report, Cell-based food: its safety and its future role.

The newly published FAO report of the 2023 meeting offers an in-depth exploration of the relevant innovations, providing readers with a tantalizing glimpse and insight into the most recent state in the development regarding cell-based food production and precision fermentation. In the report, 14 different food products have been featured based on the presentations and photos provided by the developers and producers. The range of products varied from precision fermentation derived collagen products to be used as food additives, to cell-based deer antler products, which have been often recognized as traditional Chinese functional food, with accompanying flowcharts of the respective production processes. The report also captured some discussions revolving around a commitment to sustainability and ethical food production practices, when discussing the traditional practices of removing antlers from deer, and the alternative way to produce cell-based "foie gras", instead of continuing the practice of force-feeding birds.

A particularly notable highlight is the narratives on the special discussion session on a food safety regulatory dossier development with detailed information on the processes of conducting food safety assessments, as well as the contents of the dossiers. With the prospect of further advancements of technologies and relevant techniques on the horizon, the released report serves as a vital resource for guiding regulatory practices, informing policy decisions, and fostering continued dialogues and collaborations in the field of innovative food technologies.

Download the report

References

FAO. 2024. Cell-based food and precision fermentation – Products, safety and the future role. Stakeholder roundtable meeting report, Shanghai, China, 6 November 2023. Rome. https://doi.org/10.4060/cd0311en

FAO. 2023. Cell-based food: its safety and its future role – Stakeholder roundtable meeting report, Tel Aviv, Israel, 7 September 2022. Rome. https://doi.org/10.4060/cc6967en

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

For more information

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

Photo credit: © Gourmey / Romain Buisson