How Do Microbial Safety Issues Associated With Meat Apply to Cell Cultivated Products?

Cell cultivated products (CCPs) represent a rapidly emerging sector within the global food industry. These encompass a variety of foods produced through innovative processes that hold the potential to significantly enhance environmental sustainability, animal welfare and nutritional availability. Unlike traditional meat production, which involves animal slaughter and extensive farming practices, CCPs are derived from cells isolated from animals or plants, cultivated in a controlled environment and then harvested to create the final food product or food ingredient. This method enables the production of ‘meat-like products’ without the need for traditional agricultural methods. Certain microorganisms (bacteria, yeast, fungi, microalgae) can also be grown in culture to produce alternative proteins. One production method is biomass fermentation (e.g., Quorn), where the whole cells are included in the food product. Another option is to use microorganisms that have been genetically modified to produce a protein of interest through a process called precision fermentation. An example of this that is currently used in the food industry is the production of chymosin, an enzyme utilised in cheese making. The novelty of these food production techniques and the products that are being developed poses challenges for regulatory bodies like the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and Food Standards Scotland (FSS) in conducting risk assessments based on the best available science. Microbiological hazards are a primary concern, and the aim of this project was to review available literature and seek input from experts to identify the potential hazards, sources of contamination, mitigation measures, and evidence gaps. These are presented in this report, along with recommendations that will assist in enhancing the science base, informing regulatory requirements and facilitating future microbial safety assessment of these novel products.