How Does Genetic Drift Impact the Safety of Cell-Cultivated Products?

Cell-cultivated products (CCPs), such as cultivated meat and seafood, are made by growing animal-derived cells in controlled environments. CCPs are considered novel foods. Given that these products are unlike any food previously available, it is important to understand any associated food safety implications and to develop suitable mitigation strategies where required. This review focuses on genetic and epigenetic drift during CCP production and any potential risks that this might present. In this context, the term “drift” refers to the potential accumulation of genetic and epigenetic changes that may lead to changes in some of the cell line characteristics. A review of the literature and an expert elicitation event were conducted to get a better understanding of the type of changes that may occur, their drivers, what the food safety implications may be and potential mitigating strategies. Although no evidence of any specific food safety-related issues linked to genetic drift was found in the existing literature, and direct evidence from CCP systems is limited, various theoretical risks are discussed, including tumorigenic potential, allergenicity and toxicity. Existing industry quality controls—such as checking cell growth rate, verifying cell identity, and monitoring consistency across batches—already help detect unexpected changes. This project reviews available methodology to detect (epi)genetic changes and best practice and monitoring systems from the biomedical sector, where in vitro cell culture plays a critical role and (epi)genetic stability is essential. Learnings from this field can inform future CCP regulatory requirements. Research gaps and recommendations to support regulatory developments are highlighted. As the sector grows, regulators, researchers and producers will continue to work together to develop proportionate monitoring approaches to ensure CCPs are safe, high quality, and trustworthy for consumers.