Mosa Meat submits first EU market authorisation request for cultivated beef fat
Mosa Burgers featuring cultivated fat at a recent pre-approval tasting event
In its quest to transform the world food system, Mosa Meat has excitedly announced a significant milestone by applying for its cultivated beef fat as its first Novel Foods to the European Commission (EC). In addition to being Mosa Meat’s first application for market authorisation in the EU, this is also the first submission of farmed beef in the EU’s history.
The decision to start with cultivated fat is based on the unique regulatory structure in Europe. Unlike for example in Singapore – where entire products are assessed – the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) reviews each novel ingredient individually.
According to Mosa Meat, cultivated fat is critical to delivering the taste, aroma, and mouthfeel that people expect from high-quality beef, making it a natural first step on its path toward introducing cultivated beef to consumers.
“Fat is the soul of flavour, and we’ve developed an ingredient that delivers the rich culinary experience consumers expect from conventional beef, Maarten Bosch, CEO of Mosa Meat explained. “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.”
The EU’s Novel Foods framework is widely regarded as a global gold standard for food safety and quality. To meet these rigorous requirements, Mosa Meat said it worked meticulously to compile a robust dataset including:
- A dossier numbering almost 1,000 pages
- Processing 450 samples and revieing 652 analytical documents
- Collaborating with six accredited laboratories, developing 23 new analytical methods and analysing 148 parameters per batch
- Altogether, over 10 full-time Mosa Meat employees worked on this dossier for nearly two years
- It took seven consecutive days just to upload all the documents into the EC portal.
Once the dossier passes a validity check by the European Commission, it will be referred to EFSA for a thorough risk assessment, which is expected to take around 18 months.
Mosa Meat said initial offerings will combine cultivated beef fat with plant-based ingredients to create a beefy flavour profile.
Hans van Wolde, 2-star Michelin Chef, who was “blown away by the beefy taste and the amazing mouthfeel of the beef fat” when he first tried a Mosa Burger as part of the internal development team, said: “It gave me goosebumps. I genuinely believe this new way of making beef can delight connoisseurs and casual beef lovers alike while enjoying the positive benefits of cultivated beef from a sustainability perspective.”
Mosa Meat will now work with the EC and EFSA through the Novel Foods approval process, with the team continuing to make strides in research and development to ensure that cultivated meat meets the highest standards of taste, safety, and sustainability.
“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. Mosa Meat remains committed to building a more diverse and resilient food system — one that satisfies global demand while being kind to the planet,” Maarten Bosch, CEO of Mosa Meat said.
