Globally, intensive farming is having a devastating impact on the environment, animal welfare and human health. This includes providing information on the ‘history of use of the novel food and/or its source, absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, nutritional information, toxicological information and allergenicity’ (EFSA 2021). It is yet to state what is expected of firms or to establish an expert or scientific advisory group, let alone publish guidance and establish an advice unit. An important point about this is that it is the production, not the transportation, that counts for the vast bulk of these emissions. They’ve lived a life and have a history,” enthuses Derek, gesturing to one of the two Morris J-types in the room.

The technology has transitioned from a purely theoretical concept to a prototype at extraordinary speed.

For instance, five different batches that are representative of the final, full-scale production process should be analysed for composition and for chemical and microbiological contaminants.

At Ivy Farm, we’re using technology developed at Oxford University to grow pork mince that’s a good source of protein, low in saturated fat and free from antibiotics. Nevertheless, global meat consumption is expected to grow as countries become more affluent, and humanity still needs more protein, not less. gov/food/domestic-interagency-agreements-food/formal-agreement-between-fda-and-usda-regarding-oversight-human-food-produced-using-animal-cell).This recognition could be either in a shortened application process or, ideally, by recognising the entire approval process. Firms with an innovative product apply to join the sandbox and, if successful, are then allocated a dedicated case manager who help support the development and testing of the product.