• Following an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR) for labeling cell-based meat products issued in September, the issue has been placed on the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service's (FSIS) list of “long-term actions” – meaning the agency does not intend to have a regulatory action within the next 12 months.

  • This is despite food tech companies' eagerness to bring cell-cultured meat to the market. A California-based company recently developed what it claims to be a significantly less expensive method to produce edible beef cells and anticipates lowering that cost further at scale.

  • Through the ANPR, FSIS received more than 1,200 comments on an array of questions, including whether labeling should differentiate cell-cultured products from products made from traditionally slaughtered animals.

  • Keller and Heckman will continue to monitor FSIS's plans regarding regulating cell-based meat products.

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