The French food start-up Gourmet became the first company to requested access to the EU market for cultured or “lab-grown” meat, after submission to the European Commission on Thursday application for a duck cell-based product.
It will be used for foie gras
The new food will be used to make foie gras, a traditional dish in France that has received increasing criticism for concerns about animal welfare.
Made by swollen liver of duck or gooseyour production was banned in twelve EU countries.
“It’s not really going to replace anything, but it’s going to complement the current offering,” Nicolas Morin-Forest, Gourmey’s chief executive, told Politico in an interview.
“We are a French company and we see this first product as a tribute to an iconic delicacy of our gastronomy”, he said, recalling that Gourmey also applied for market approval. in emerging markets such as the UK and Switzerland, as well as in established markets in Singapore and the US.
Request to the EU
The EU submission triggers a one-and-a-half to two-year evaluation, which consists of a nine-month risk assessment by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), followed by a seven-month risk management process, during which EU countries ultimately vote by qualified majority (at least 55% of the countries representing 65% of the bloc’s population) for the if they will allow the product.
The Paris-based startup, which has raised €65 million from venture capitalists, is also working on other cultured meats for the EU market, along with competitors such as the Dutch Mosa Meat.