New guidance has been published by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and Food Standards Scotland (FSS), with the aim to help businesses navigate the process of exporting cell-cultivated products from Great Britain to non-EU countries.
Developed through the FSA and FSS Cell-Cultivated Products Sandbox Programme, the guidance brings together export requirements across Government, including HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade (BIST) and Defra, into a single process map for businesses.
The Cell-Cultivated Products Sandbox Programme looks to “support the Government’s growth agenda” by helping food businesses to understand regulatory requirements.
The guidance sets out the practical steps a company intending to export a cell-cultivated product of animal origin will need to consider, from checking destination country eligibility and confirming GB establishment requirements, to export health certification, customs declarations, cold chain management, labelling and documentation.
Dr Thomas Vincent, deputy director of the Sandbox and Innovation at the FSA, stated: “Businesses have told us that understanding the cross-Government export process was a priority, so we have worked across Government to explain the path to export cell-cultivated products from GB to non-EU markets.
“The market for cell-cultivated food is growing internationally, so this guidance will help companies understand what they need to do to access new markets and grow their businesses.”
Market access, and a business’s ability to export to any given country, depends on the laws and import conditions of that country and the decisions made by its competent authorities. FSA said the new guidance would help to make it easier for new businesses and start-ups to understand the process involved, and it does not guarantee market access will be achieved or replace the current route to export.
