US secretary of agriculture Sonny Perdue and US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) commissioner Scott Gottlieb, announced the meeting is be held on 23 to 24 October 2018 to discuss the use of cell culture technology.
The move to using cell culture technology has been a controversial one for the country. A lawsuit has even been filed against the state of Missouri over the labelling of meat-free and clean meat products.
The Missouri governor has signed a bill that that prohibits the misrepresentation of meat. The law means products cannot be labelled as meat, sausages, hot dogs or deli slices unless they are from a slaughtered animal.
The joint public meeting, hosted by the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service and the FDA, will focus on the potential hazards, oversight considerations by regulatory agencies, and the labelling of cell cultured food products.
Representatives of industry, consumer groups and other stakeholders are invited to participate in the meeting.
“This is an important opportunity to hear from the agricultural industry and consumers as we consider the regulatory framework for these new products,” said Perdue.
“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.”
Gottlieb added: “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.”
Attendees are encouraged to pre-register to attend the meeting, which is being held in in the Jefferson Auditorium in the US Department of Agriculture South Building, Washington.
