French cultivated meat start-up Gourmey has filed 'Europe's first' submission to sell its foie gras product made from cultivated duck cells.

This EU submission is one of five simultaneously filed worldwide including Singapore, the US, UK and Switzerland. The firm filed applications with the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Singapore Food Agency (SFA), the Food Standards Agency (FSA) in the UK, the Swiss Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office (FSVO) and the European Commission (EC) and European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).

Regulatory bodies in the US, Singapore and Israel have already approved the sale of certain cultivated products. In the EU, this is the first time a company is seeking novel food approval for cultivated food from the European Commission.

As Gourmey does not use gene-edited or genetically modified cells, its application falls in scope of the novel food regulation. To support the application, the start-up prepared a dossier in accordance with the relevant regulations and EFSA guidance.

Gourmey’s CEO Nicolas Morin-Forest said: “We look forward to continuing to work closely with the regulatory authorities to ensure full compliance with safety requirements throughout these procedures. We are confident that our products will meet these highly demanding standards so that everyone who wants to can enjoy new gourmet experiences all around the world.”