A study led by researchers from the University of Antwerp has found that ultra-processed plant-based foods contain high levels of organophosphorus flame retardants and plasticizers in comparison to their animal-based analogs, but a dietary exposure risk assessment did not raise a health concern for the adult population, including vegans.
Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) has approved its first cell-based food product—quail meat—bringing the product closer to market and establishing a regulatory framework in the national Food Standards Code.
FAO recently published a report on the food safety aspects of precision fermentation, covering nomenclature issues, the production process, and regulatory frameworks.
Mississippi has become the third U.S. state to ban cell-based food products with the passage of House Bill 1006. As of July 1, 2025, it will be illegal to sell or distribute any cultivated food product in the state.
South Dakota has joined the list of states with legislation targeting cell-based meat, which includes Florida and Alabama, by recently passing a law that prohibits the award or use of state funds for the research, production, promotion, sale, or distribution of cell-cultured protein.
The UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) has selected eight companies and other partners to take part in its two-year Cell-Cultivated Products sandbox program, which will inform how the agency regulates cell-cultured foods and will result in the full safety assessment of two products.
Researchers from Wageningen University and Research have characterized the toxicological effects and allergenic potential of emerging alternative protein sources in a recent review.
In a novel food safety assessment, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has concluded that a type of house cricket (Acheta domesticus) is safe under the proposed food uses and use levels.
Recent research efforts by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) to support novel food risk assessments include a study of the effects that processing methods for novel and genetically modified foods can have on proteins, as well as the development of a fit-for-purpose, in vitro toxicity assessment approach for novel proteins.
In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak to Paul Shapiro, best-selling author and CEO of The Better Meat Co., about the food safety and sustainability advantages offered by various novel alternative protein products, their current regulatory oversight, and hurdles they must overcome before being scaled up and widely accepted by governments and consumers.