FSA secures US$1.79M to launch innovation hub for novel food safety
The hub intends to protect consumers by ensuring the safety of new foods before they are sold and clarifying regulatory requirements for innovators and investors.
UK – The Department of Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) of the United Kingdom has awarded the Food Standards Agency (FSA) £1.4 million (US$1.79 million) to support a new innovation hub.
This award is part of the Regulatory Innovation Office (RIO)’s mission to promote a pro-innovation regulatory system.
The new funding will focus on the innovation hub, which will develop and expand specialist expertise in regulating innovative technologies such as precision fermented foods.
The hub intends to protect consumers by ensuring the safety of these foods before they are sold and clarifying regulatory requirements for innovators and investors.
The new hub will bring together the FSA’s existing work on novel foods and food created through genetic technology, alongside the recently launched sandbox for cell-cultivated products.
The funding will enable the FSA to boost its scientific capacity to conduct risk assessments of innovative products and provide greater regulatory clarity to industry on gaining market authorisation in Great Britain alongside Food Standards Scotland.
This includes the development of a new business-focused guidance hub and enhanced regulatory capacity to support broader innovation in the food sector.
Commenting on the launch, Professor Susan Jebb, Chair of the FSA, emphasised that the new project will provide innovators with greater support in navigating food safety regulations, streamlining the system and helping safe products reach the market more quickly.
“The public can remain confident that the foods they choose are safe and the UK economy can benefit from business investment, so as a nation we will be able to take early advantage of the potential these technologies offer,” she added.
Lord Vallance, the science minister, also expressed confidence in the Regulatory Innovation Office’s capability to bring innovations like precision fermentation to the market safely and efficiently.
He further affirmed that “we’re streamlining regulation to get safe, innovative products onto shelves faster, while maintaining high standards and strengthening the UK’s position in food technology – in turn supporting the Government’s Plan for Change.”
This new project aligns with several of the FSA’s commitments under the government’s action plan. These include supporting UK businesses in meeting the EU’s regulatory requirements for food-grade recycled plastic by taking on a new role as the competent authority.
The FSA is also strengthening trade support by partnering with Defra on six international audits of UK standards, helping food exporters access new markets and maintain existing ones.
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