Lab-grown foie gras could be coming to Britain’s dinner tables – so, would YOU try it?
Cruelty-free foie gras could be one of the first lab-grown products to hit the market in Britain, according to regulators.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has announced £1.6 million in funding to research cell-cultured products.
These are novel foods that are created without using traditional farming methods, but instead involve growing cells in a laboratory to create a product ‘indistinguishable from the real thing’.
The FSA will launch their ‘Sandbox’ program in February next year, designed to test lab-grown products to ensure they are safe for consumers to eat.
Yesterday, regulators confirmed that they have already received four applications from companies interested in selling their products in Britain.
Cruelty-free foie gras could be one of the first lab-grown products on the market in Britain, regulators say
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has announced £1.6 million in funding to research cell-cultured products. These are novel foods created without using traditional farming methods, but instead growing cells in a laboratory to make a product ‘indistinguishable’ from the real thing (stock image)
And one of them is French company Gourmey, which hopes its flagship lab-grown foie gras will appeal to British consumers.
The controversial production of foie gras involves a technique called gavage, in which ducks and geese are force-fed large amounts of food through a tube inserted into their throats.
Gourmey says their lab-grown equivalent, made with duck stem cells, is a boost for animal welfare without sacrificing taste.
Their website states: ‘We believe in a world where spectacle and juiciness go hand in hand with sustainability and a positive impact.
Gourmey says their lab-grown equivalent, made using duck stem cells, is a boost to animal welfare without compromising on taste
Foie gras: culinary delight or simply cruel?
Foie gras is made from duck or goose liver.
Under French law, it is defined as the liver of a duck that has been fattened by force-feeding corn. Outside France it is sometimes produced using natural foods.
The technique, known as gavage, dates back to 2500 BC, when ancient Egyptians kept birds for food and deliberately fattened them through force-feeding.
Under French law, foie gras is defined as the liver of a duck that has been fattened on force-fed corn
France is the largest producer and consumer of foie gras, but it is made and consumed all over the world, especially in Europe, America and China.
In France, foie gras comes in various forms, such as whole foie gras made from one or two whole liver lobes, or as pieces of liver mixed together.
‘So we are reinterpreting meat to save land and resources, and not for taste. We share the delicious and decadent experience of meat we all love, while protecting the planet we need.
“With our flagship cultured foie gras, we honor culinary traditions and heritage while looking to the future.”
Other companies that have also applied include Aleph Farms, which focuses on lab-grown steaks, and Vital Meat, which offers cell-cultured chicken, among other products.
Professor Robin May, chief scientific adviser at the Food Standards Agency, said: ‘What companies developing these products are aiming for is a product that is indistinguishable from the animal equivalent.
‘So a fillet steak that tastes like a fillet steak.
‘Many companies active in this area do so from the perspective of animal welfare or sustainability. Things like foie gras are certainly part of that.’
He added that some companies are developing alternatives to replace endangered species, such as an eel substitute.
He said one of the FSA’s “most crucial responsibilities” is to ensure consumers can trust the safety of novel foods.
The FSA said they have only received four applications so far, but expect a further 15 within two years from companies interested in making lab-grown beef, chicken, fish and even fat.
Announcing the funding, the FSA said it needed to find out more “about these products and how they are made to ensure they are safe for consumers to eat.”
The £1.6 million funding for the FDA comes from the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.
They said the award “could result in food production that is more environmentally friendly and sustainable, with just 1 percent of land used for animal equivalents, while increasing food security.”