BeneMeat warns UK–EU trade deal could put wider biotech ambitions at risk

The proposed UK–EU sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) agreement could have consequences far beyond the food sector if it limits Britain’s ability to authorize novel foods independently, BeneMeat warns. The Czech cultivated meat technology company says uncertainty is already affecting UK commercial plans, with implications for investment, manufacturing expertise, and the wider bioeconomy. 

The suggested SPS agreement would align relevant British food safety, animal health, and plant health rules with EU standards. It would reduce border checks and paperwork for food and agricultural trade, while bringing Great Britain’s novel food authorizations under EU rules. 

“The countries that establish clear, pragmatic, and science-based regulatory frameworks right now will ultimately own the intellectual property, skills, and industrial infrastructure of tomorrow’s bioeconomy,” a BeneMeat spokesperson tells Food Ingredients First.

“We strongly believe Britain has the potential to maintain its leadership in this space, and we are fully prepared to deploy our technology there the moment that regulatory certainty is secured.”

In an open letter dated September 8, the company urges the prime minister to preserve UK autonomy in biotechnology. It argues that cultivated meat can build capabilities relevant to medicine, advanced materials, and industrial biomanufacturing.

The letter says further progress on UK investment, partnerships, and commercial activities is on hold. In follow-up comments, BeneMeat describes preparatory work whose timing and structure remain under review.

UK partnerships await clarity

BeneMeat says it has spent the past few years exploring how its cultivated cell lines could be brought to the UK market for pet and human food applications. 

BeneMeat sees opportunities for cultivated meat ingredients in premium functional foods.“This has included preparatory work on product development, controlled tastings, and potential routes to local commercial deployment. The work is intended to help UK food and pet food manufacturers assess and integrate cultivated ingredients into their own products and supply chains,” says the spokesperson.

The company has not identified the partners or investment amounts involved.

“Potential food-industry partners need to understand the applicable requirements and likely route to market before committing significant time, resources, or investment to product development, controlled tastings, or local manufacturing capacity.”

“Where the regulatory pathway and timetable remain subject to change, partners may choose to sequence or defer particular activities while they assess the implications. This can affect the pace at which collaborative projects progress from early development to commercial planning.”

Protecting the approval pathway

BeneMeat’s concerns follow UK guidance published in July covering cultivated food safety, application dossiers, and controlled taste trials.

“BeneMeat submitted its UK novel food application on the basis of the UK’s existing regulatory pathway and the expectation that it would be assessed by the Food Standards Agency according to UK requirements, scientific evidence, and timetable,” the spokesperson explains.

“If future arrangements were to change the degree of UK flexibility or alignment in this area, this could affect the practical pathway, timing, and planning assumptions associated with pending applications.”BeneMeat warns UK–EU trade uncertainty could delay cultivated meat investment and partnerships.

The company stresses that the impact depends on the agreement’s final terms. It calls for an explicit exemption for novel foods and biotechnology.

“To support the resumption of these projects, we would welcome clarity that the UK will retain the ability to assess and authorize novel foods through its own regulatory framework. This means providing clear treatment and a carveout for novel foods and biotechnology within the proposed UK–EU SPS agreement.”

“We therefore support an SPS agreement that facilitates trade while preserving the UK’s ability to make timely, science-based decisions on novel foods and biotechnology. This would give businesses the confidence to plan investment and partnerships appropriately, while maintaining robust food-safety standards.”

Targeting functional foods

Aleph Farms secured Singapore approval for cultivated beef in August, with production expected to begin in the first half of 2027.

BeneMeat sees its own human food opportunity in nutritional applications.

“We started with the pet food sector, where our cultivated ingredient has already secured regulatory recognition, because it served as an excellent, practical gateway to validate our production at scale,” says the spokesperson.

“The novel food application we submitted in the UK is explicitly for human consumption. In this space, we see significant potential in premium functional foods that would allow manufacturers to significantly strengthen the nutritional profile of their existing portfolios.”

“For food developers, our cultivated meat offers functionalities such as purity and high quality of cultivated meat and consistency of batches.”

Creating tailored nutrition

Nutritional customization remains a development ambition.

“Looking to the future, cultivated meat also opens up the unique possibility to precisely customize the nutritional parameters of end-products. For instance, as we continue to evolve our cultivated cell lines, we will be able to optimize the ratio of fatty acids, such as omega-3 to omega-6, giving them unprecedented control over creating highly functional, tailored nutrition.”