Meat+Poultry - October 2018 - 14

WA S H I N G T O N

Cell culture talks
The topic of cell culture technology
and the products produced from it is
a controversial one throughout the
industry, as well as in Washington. US
Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue
and US Food and Drug Administration
Commissioner Scott Gottlieb on Sept.
10 announced a joint public meeting
Oct. 23-24 to focus on the potential
hazards, oversight considerations, and
labeling of cell cultured food products
derived from livestock and poultry.
The public meeting will be held on
Oct. 23 from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., and
Oct. 24 from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the
Jefferson Auditorium in the USDA
South Building, 1400 Independence
Ave. SW, Washington, DC, 20250.
"This is an important opportunity
to hear from the agricultural industry
and consumers as we consider the
regulatory framework for these new
products," Perdue said. "American
farmers and ranchers feed the world,
but as technology advances, we must
consider how to inspect and regulate
to ensure food safety, regardless of the
production method."
"The FDA knows just how vital it
is to ensure the safety of our nation's
food supply and the critical role
science-based, modern regulatory
frameworks are to fostering innovation.
Recent advances in animal cell cultured

food products present many important
and timely technical and regulatory
considerations for the FDA and our
partners at USDA," Gottlieb said. "We
look forward to the opportunity to hold
a meeting with our USDA colleagues
as part of an open public dialogue
regarding these products."
Representatives of industry,
consumer groups and other
stakeholders are invited to participate
in the public meeting. The first day the
meeting will cover potential hazards
that need to be considered in order
to safely produce animal cell cultured
food products as well as oversight
considerations by regulatory agencies.
The second day of the meeting will
focus on labeling considerations.
Organizations in the meat industry
as well as those with interests in
cultured meat technology have
been participating with the ongoing
discussions of the best way to handle
the new technology. Cultured meat
company Memphis Meats and the North
American Meat Institute (NAMI) sent
a letter to the White House on Aug.
23 requesting a combined meeting
between government agencies and
conventional and cell-based meat and
poultry stakeholders to determine
regulatory structures.
Each group asked that the White
House, the US Dept. of Agriculture
(USDA) and the US Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) be represented

and participate in the meeting.
"To ensure the regulatory system
protects consumers while fostering
innovation, it is imperative that the
agencies coordinate and collaborate
in their efforts, consistent with
established policy," the letter said.
Both NAMI and Memphis Meats
expressed the need for the USDA and
FDA to have oversight into pre-market
safety evaluations into the new
cell-based products. The letter also
suggested the establishment of an
agreed upon terminology for the new
category of products.
"Cell-based meat products are
meat produced from animal cells in
cell culture," the letter said. "They are
an 'and,' not an 'or,' solution, and the
latest in a long history of innovation
in American agriculture. Recognizing
a shared desire to support innovation
and feed the world, moving forward we
will use the term 'cell-based meat and
poultry' to describe the products that
are the result of animal cell culture."
Attendees are encouraged to
pre-register for the joint public meeting
at the Meetings and Events page on the
FSIS website at fsis.usda.gov.
Written comments prior to or
after the meeting can be submitted to
regulations.gov by Nov. 26. Comments
previously submitted to FDA in regard
to the July 12, 2018, public meeting will
also be considered.
MEAT+ POULTRY STAFF | meatpoultr y @sosland.com

14

MEAT+ POULTRY | 10.18 | www.meatpoultry.com

Gary Blakeley/Shutterstock.com

"American farmers and ranchers feed the world,
but as technology advances, we must consider
how to inspect and regulate to ensure food
safety, regardless of the production method."
http://www.fsis.usda.gov http://www.regulations.gov http://www.meatpoultry.com
Meat+Poultry - October 2018

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