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News: Gourmey Makes UK Regulatory History as South Korea Commits $10M to Cultivated Meat Research

By David Bell  •   3 minute read

News: Gourmey Makes UK Regulatory History as South Korea Commits $10M to Cultivated Meat Research
French cultivated meat company Gourmey has achieved a significant regulatory milestone in the United Kingdom, becoming the first cell-cultivated meat company to have its application validated by both the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and Food Standards Scotland (FSS).
This validation marks the beginning of Gourmey's regulatory assessment process in the UK, following similar achievements in the European Union and Switzerland.
"We are proud to announce that Gourmey is the world's first cell-cultivated meat company to have its application validated in Great Britain," said Nicolas Morin-Forest, CEO and co-founder of Gourmey. This development signals growing regulatory receptiveness to cultivated meat products in Europe.
In a move to streamline the approval process, the UK's Food Standards Agency has introduced a pilot support service specifically designed to assist cell-cultivated food companies with market authorization. This initiative responds to the increasing number of companies working to bring cultivated products to market and aims to ensure these novel foods meet necessary safety standards before reaching consumers.
Meanwhile, in the United States, San Francisco-based Wildtype has launched its cultivated salmon in restaurants, becoming the first cultivated seafood product to be cleared for sale in the country. The product is currently being featured at Kann, a Portland, Oregon restaurant owned by James Beard award-winning chef Gregory Gourdet, with plans to expand availability throughout July.

International Investment in Infrastructure

South Korea has made a bold move toward establishing itself as a leader in alternative proteins with the planned launch of the Food Tech Research Support Center in Uiseong. Backed by nearly $10 million in public funding, this facility represents the country's first national center dedicated to cultivated meat research and development.
"This center aims to position Korea as a regional and global leader in alternative proteins," said Kim Eun-Mi, head of the Medical Convergence Textile Center in Gyeongbuk TechnoPark, where the new facility will be established. The investment reflects growing recognition of cultivated meat's potential role in future food systems across Asia.
This development comes as market analysts project significant growth for the sector, with recent reports forecasting the global cultivated meat market to reach $20.04 billion by 2029. This projection correlates with increasing global meat consumption and growing demand for more sustainable protein alternatives.

Commercial and Technical Breakthroughs

US food tech startup Clever Carnivore has reported industry-leading cost reductions for its cultivated pork, which it plans to launch commercially in 2026. The company has achieved cell culture media costs as low as $0.07 per liter, representing a significant breakthrough in addressing one of the primary barriers to commercial viability.
This achievement aligns with findings from technology forecasting firm GetFocus, which recently published a report indicating that cultivated meat technologies are advancing at a faster rate than traditional livestock farming methods. The analysis suggests this accelerated pace of innovation could lead to cultivated meat achieving cost parity with conventional meat sooner than previously anticipated.
In Japan, cultivated meat company Integriculture announced the successful development of prototype products made from cultivated duck liver. This development highlights the growing diversification of cultivated meat products beyond basic ground meat applications and demonstrates Japan's increasing presence in the cellular agriculture sector.

Regulatory Challenges Persist

Despite progress in many regions, regulatory challenges continue to create a complex landscape for cultivated meat companies. In the United States, Texas became the seventh state to ban the sale of lab-grown meat when Governor Greg Abbott signed SB 261 into law on June 25. This continues the trend of state-level restrictions despite federal approval pathways through the FDA and USDA.
These conflicting regulatory approaches create significant challenges for companies planning national distribution strategies in the US and highlight the need for coordinated policy approaches as the industry matures.

Industry Outlook

The past month's developments reflect an industry gaining momentum across multiple fronts. Regulatory progress in Europe and commercial launches in the US demonstrate growing acceptance of cultivated meat products, while significant public investments in countries like South Korea indicate increasing governmental recognition of the technology's potential.
Technical advances continue to address key production challenges, particularly around cost reduction, which remains critical for achieving price parity with conventional meat. As these trends continue, the industry appears poised for further growth, though navigating the complex and sometimes contradictory regulatory landscape will remain a significant challenge.
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Author David Bell

About the Author

David Bell is the founder of Cultigen Group (parent of Cultivated Meat Shop) and contributing author on all the latest news. With over 25 years in business, founding & exiting several technology startups, he started Cultigen Group in anticipation of the coming regulatory approvals needed for this industry to blossom.

David has been a vegan since 2012 and so finds the space fascinating and fitting to be involved in... "It's exciting to envisage a future in which anyone can eat meat, whilst maintaining the morals around animal cruelty which first shifted my focus all those years ago"