Cultivated beef company Mosa Meat has submitted an application for UK market approval, focusing on blending cultivated fat with plant-based ingredients.

Mosa Meat said that the cultivated fat would blend with plant-based ingredients to create “beefy foods” like hamburgers, shepherd’s pie and meatballs.

The application comes as the company was chosen as one of eight companies worldwide to take part in a Food Standards Agency (FSA) regulatory sandbox, funded for by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT).

Mosa Meat claimed that cultivated meat would “strengthen the UK and Europe’s food system by reducing reliance on imports, enhancing food security and contributing to a more resilient, sustainable supply chain”.

Mosa Meat will combine cultivated and plant-based ingredients

Maarten Bosch, CEO of Mosa Meat, commented: “We are thankful to the Food Standards Agency for engaging in valuable presubmission consultations with our food safety team. We included their valuable feedback and have submitted our cultivated beef fat dossier for formal review. In essence, the regulatory sandbox is already making an impact on attracting innovative companies like ours to the UK market.

“Fat is the soul of flavour, and we’ve developed an ingredient that enriches the 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.”

Bosch concluded: “By starting with cultivated fat, we’re paving the way to introduce our first burgers to consumers while staying true to our long-term vision. Our initial products will combine cultivated and plant-based ingredients, leveraging our in-house expertise in both areas. Mosa Meat remains committed to building a more diverse and resilient food system.”