WHO report on the food safety aspects of cell based food

The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations World Health Organisation has just put out a substantial report on the food safety aspects of cell-based food, which is already in commercial production and set to expand exponentially.  It’s available here. 

The Technical Panel has comprehensively canvassed possible hazards for the cell sourcing, production, harvesting and processing stages.

According to the Executive Summary, “This document includes a literature synthesis of relevant terminology issues, principles of cell-based food production processes and the global landscape of regulatory frameworks for cell-based food production. Case studies from Israel, Qatar and Singapore have been included to highlight different scopes, structures and contexts surrounding their regulatory frameworks for cell-based food. The results of the FAO-led Expert Consultation, where comprehensive food safety hazard identification was conducted, form the core of the document and the identified hazards are summarized with causal-chain examples.”

Director of the Centre, Dr Libby Harrison, says “We have to make sure that our food producers and consumers are fully informed about this revolution in food production before commercial imperatives outrun our ability to educate and prepare people properly. Hold on to your hats, because it’s coming, ready or not.”