Cultured beef pioneer Mosa Meat has submitted a request for EU market approval — “the first cultivated beef submission in EU history,” according to the food tech company.

The submission focuses on cultivated fat as an ingredient, which can be blended with plant-based ingredients to create foods like hamburgers, meatballs, empanadas or bolognese.

 Mosa Meat’s decision to start with cultivated fat is based on Europe’s “unique” regulatory structure. The start-up says that unlike Singapore, wher entire products are assessed, the EFSA reviews each novel ingredient individually. 

The submission falls under the EU Novel Food framework, widely considered a global standard for food safety and quality. According to the business, cultivated fat is critical to delivering the taste, aroma and mouthfeel that people expect from high-quality beef, making it a natural first step toward introducing cultivated beef to consumers.

The European Commission and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) will now evaluate the submission, with the process expected to take around 18 months. 

“We are eager to collaborate closely with regulatory authorities to ensure full compliance with safety requirements,” says Maarten Bosch, CEO of Mosa Meat.

“Fat is the soul of flavor and we’ve developed an ingredient that delivers the rich culinary experience consumers expect from conventional beef. This innovation not only enhances our Mosa burgers but also has the potential to elevate plant-based products, which often struggle to replicate the full sensory experience of meat.”

Challenging sector

Bosch explains that the start-up’s initial products will combine cultivated and plant-based ingredients, leveraging its in-house expertise in both areas. 

“Mosa Meat remains committed to building a more diverse and resilient food system — one that satisfies global demand while being kind to the planet,” he adds.  

Cultivated meat is produced directly from cells and is identical to conventional meat at a cellular level. Benefits include more efficient and climate-friendly production compared to regular meat. The Good Food Institute estimates that cultivated meat produced using renewable energy could reduce beef’s carbon footprint by up to 92%. 

However, companies like Mosa Meat have faced significant challenges in reaching large-scale or cost-competitive production levels. A spokesperson for the company tells Food Ingredients First that as cultivated meat is in its early stages there are “naturally hurdles to overcome.”

“From our perspective, the biggest challenges are scaling production economically, demonstrating consistent product quality and navigating complex regulatory landscapes in different regions,” they say. 

“At the same time, these same hurdles present opportunities: breakthroughs in bioprocessing will make production more efficient and cost-effective, robust safety data will build consumer trust and a clear regulatory framework will encourage broader industry collaboration.” 

The spokesperson adds that they see the challenges “as catalysts for innovation,” driving them to “refine our technology,” so cultivated meat can become “a sustainable food choice.” 

Maker of “the world’s kindest burger,” the business was founded in 2016 in the Netherlands. Its first burger cost €250,000 (US$260,500) to produce and was funded by Sergey Brin, the co-founder of Google. Its EU submission follows a first formal pre-approval tasting of Mosa Burgers and a product development partnership with 2-star Michelin chef Hans van Wolde.

The company says on its website that it hopes to introduce its product to market in the “next couple of years,” but some scientific unknowns and regulatory factors make it difficult to give a specific time frame. It aims to scale production and bring the price down.