Gourmey’s Cultivated Duck Wins FSANZ Board Approval as a Wholesale Ingredient for Australia and New Zealand

Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) has approved Gourmey's cell-cultured duck biomass as a food ingredient, which will be used in products like foie gras and pâté once ministerial review is completed. The biomass is grown from an embryonic stem cell line sourced from Pekin duck, and FSANZ found no public health or safety concerns associated with it. The approval comes with conditions, including that the biomass cannot be sold directly to consumers and must be labeled as "cell-cultured" in retail packaging.

During the consultation period, FSANZ received 17 submissions, including concerns from industry groups like Australian Meat Industry Council and Luv-a-Duck. Despite these concerns, the board approved the application without amendments. If the ministers allow the variation to proceed, Gourmey's cultivated duck will be the second cell-cultured food permitted in Australia and New Zealand, following Vow's quail. Gourmey has also received approval in Singapore and has filed applications in Europe and the US, with no launch date announced for Australia or New Zealand at this time.