Cultured Meat Regulation in Japan

According to a report in The Japan News, a team of experts will be established this fiscal year by the Japanese Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry to investigate whether there are risks in proposed meat cultivation processes that could adversely affect human health.

Meat production, processing, and distribution in Japan are regulated under the Food Sanitation Law, but cultivated meat will not be covered under this law. The new team will address a lack of regulatory clarity for future cultivated meat producers. The Ministry will act to ensure safety in the emerging industry based on the team’s findings and on the regulation of cultivated meat in other countries.

Japan is seeking a leadership position in the field. In April, a team from Nissan Food Holdings Co. and the University of Tokyo claimed Japan’s first cultivated meat. They aim to produce a 2cm thick, 100g piece of meat by 2025. IntegriCulture Inc. announced the first successful cultivation of chicken and duck liver-derived cells in a serum-free basal medium. And the Shojinmeat Project, a citizen science project for developing open-source clean meat, is pushing boundaries to establish cellular agriculture as a vibrant discipline in Japan.

Vireo Advisors LLC provides advice and support for safety evaluation and regulatory compliance worldwide, working with organizations at all stages in the developing cultured meat and seafood industry.