The US food industry was asked to comment on the labeling of laboratory meat

An Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR) was launched this week to seek comments and information regarding the labeling of MEAT and poultry products made using cultured cells derived from animals under FSIS jurisdiction.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture ( USDA ) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) today released a Proposed Rulemaking Preliminary Notice (ANPR) to solicit comments and labeling information for meat and poultry products made using cultured animal-derived cells, under the jurisdiction of FSIS. FSIS will use these comments to shape future regulatory requirements for the labeling of these foods.

"ANPR is an important step forward in ensuring the proper labeling of meat and poultry products made using animal cell culture technology," said Assistant Secretary of Agriculture for Food Safety Sandra Eskin. “We want to hear from stakeholders and consider their comments as we begin work on the proposed labeling regulation for these products.”

On March 7, 2019, the USDA and the FDA announced a formal agreement to jointly supervise the production of human food products made using animal cell culture technology and derived from livestock and poultry cells to ensure that such products placed on the market are safe. The FDA and FSIS have also agreed to develop joint labeling guidelines for products made using cell culture technology in their respective labeling jurisdictions. Seafood, other than Siluriformes fish, falls under FDA jurisdiction, while meats, including Siluriformes fish, and poultry fall under FSIS jurisdiction.

Other than the new labeling rules for this product, FSIS does not intend to issue any new food safety rules for food grown in cell cultures under its jurisdiction. 

FSIS has already received thousands of comments on this topic in response to a joint public meeting with the FDA in 2018 and in relation to two rulemaking petitions (from the US Cattlemen's Association and Harvard Law School). The Agency, however, needs specific comments and information to be used in the process of developing labeling rules for meat and poultry products made using animal cell culture technology.

ANPR seeks comments on specific topics that need to be taken into account when developing rules related to the legal and regulatory requirements for the labeling of these meat and poultry products: consumer expectations regarding the labeling of these products, especially in light of nutritional composition and organoleptic qualities (flavor, color, smell or texture) of products; the names of these products, which will be neither false nor misleading; economic data; and any consumer research related to the labeling of the range of products made using animal cell culture technology.