FSA, FSS launch innovation research programme to advance precision fermentation regulation
The IRP is designed to strengthen scientific expertise, streamline the authorisation process, and offer tailored support to new businesses.
UK – The Food Standards Agency (FSA) and Food Standards Scotland (FSS) have launched the Market Authorisation Innovation Research Programme (IRP), a year-long initiative designed to enhance the UK’s regulatory capabilities in overseeing emerging food technologies.
Central to the programme is the creation of a new Innovative Food Guidance Hub and the introduction of a Business Support Service (BSS) pilot, both of which focus on precision fermentation products.
Precision fermentation represents a modern evolution of traditional fermentation, utilising bioengineered microorganisms, such as yeast and bacteria, to produce specific food components, including proteins, sugars, and fats.
While some precision-fermented products, including Omega-3 fats used in dietary supplements, have already gained market authorisation, the field is advancing rapidly.
New applications, such as dairy protein alternatives for milk substitutes, bring fresh opportunities but also complex regulatory challenges.
The IRP is designed to address these challenges by strengthening scientific expertise, streamlining the authorisation process, and offering tailored support to businesses, particularly start-ups and companies new to the food sector.
In doing so, the FSA and FSS aim to reinforce the UK’s role as a global leader in food safety regulation while encouraging responsible innovation.
The programme is funded by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology’s (DSIT) Regulatory Innovation Office.
Its objectives include expanding regulatory science capacity to evaluate the safety of novel foods, providing industry guidance for market authorisation applications in Great Britain, and offering practical tools to help businesses prepare comprehensive dossiers that meet regulatory requirements.
Professor Susan Jebb, Chair of the FSA, highlighted the importance of the initiative, “The launch of this new research programme is the latest development in our ongoing work to support innovation in the food sector while giving consumers a wider choice of safe food. Our new Innovative Food Guidance Hub is a one-stop shop for advice on regulation, while the new Business Support Service provides guidance to companies navigating the authorisation process.”
Science Minister Lord Vallance echoed this view, emphasising the role of “clearer, smarter regulation” in reducing unnecessary red tape while maintaining safety standards.
He noted that the initiative will accelerate the path from research to market, boosting consumer choice and economic growth.
The IRP complements the FSA’s existing regulatory sandbox for cell-cultivated foods, a two-year collaboration with industry to provide pre-application support.
Together, these initiatives aim to establish evidence-based frameworks that prioritise both innovation and consumer safety at the heart of the UK’s food system.
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