APAC Forum Sets Out a Lab-Based Path to Cultivated Meat Approval as Asian Rules Diverge

The APAC Regulatory Coordination Forum has proposed a lab-based method for regulators to evaluate the safety of cultivated meat and seafood in Asian markets. The method involves comparing cultivated products with their conventional counterparts, analyzing inputs used in production, checking for potential hazards like allergens and contaminants, and ensuring stability of cell lines. This approach aims to be faster and more cost-effective than the testing requirements currently in place in some Asian countries.

Different markets like the US, Singapore, Australia/New Zealand, and Israel have already approved cultivated products using this lab-based method, while countries like South Korea and Thailand currently require long-term feeding studies. The authors of the paper argue that this method is not about lowering the safety standards, but rather ensuring that the evidence required is relevant, rigorous, and proportionate to the actual risks of each product. This proposed approach could benefit startups in the industry by allowing for quicker and more targeted assessments of production inputs.