Novel Foods: Regulation
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what discussions his Department has had with the Food Standards Agency on the regulatory pathway for novel foods.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan
Ministers and officials regularly discuss novel food regulatory pathways with FSA. This includes the Engineering Biology Sandbox and Regulatory Innovation Office’s financial support for a new FSA innovation hub.
In October 2024, DSIT awarded the Food Standards Agency (FSA) funding to run a sandbox on cell-cultivated products. The project was awarded £1.6 million and launched in March 2025. FSA has already produced updated guidance on novel food tastings, allergenicity and nutrition and delivered a bespoke business support service. This sandbox was supported through our Engineering Biology Sandbox Fund, which supports regulators to design, test and implement innovative regulatory behaviours. Its aim is to accelerate regulatory reforms for engineering biology-derived products, improve the quality of decision-making when assessing these products and encourage business innovation and investment.
The FSA’s Innovation Hub was funded in March 2025 to further develop and expand specialist expertise in regulating innovative technologies such as precision fermented foods, making sure these products are safe to eat before they are sold.
Verbatim has judged this answer against the question that was actually asked — answered, partly answered, or evaded. Sign in to see the verdict →