Safe Food Victoria and declared foods
Safe Food Victoria regulates certain foods called "declared foods".
These include:
- Foods allowed under the Novel Foods standard (Part 1.5) of the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code, and
- Foods that are not traditionally produced in Victoria or are made using new or innovative methods.
Cell-cultured foods
Cell-cultured foods are a type of declared food.
This means they are either:
- Approved as novel foods, or
- Made using new technologies.
What are cell-cultured foods?
Cell-cultured foods are made by growing isolated animal or plant cells in a controlled environment like a lab. These cells are then processed into an ingredient or food product.
Requirements to produce cell-cultured foods
If you want to produce these foods in Victoria, you must:
- Get approval from Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ)
- Obtain a licene from Safe Food Victoria
- Follow the Food Standards Code.
What the standards cover
The rules apply to cells taken from:
- Livestock (for example, cattle or sheep)
- Poultry
- Game animals
- Seafood
- Eggs and embryos from these sources
The standards set requirements for:
- How the food is produced and processed
- How it is sold
- How it is labelled
Key standards
- Standard 1.5.4 – Cell-cultured foods(opens in a new window)
Sets out general requirements and mandatory labelling, including use of the statement “cell-cultured” or “cell-cultivated” for food identification purposes. - Standard 3.4.1 – Food safety requirements for processing of cell-cultured food(opens in a new window)
Covers food safety requirements for production and processing, including controls on inputs, equipment, premises and monitoring. - Schedule 25A – Permitted cell-cultured foods(opens in a new window)
Lists approved foods and any specific conditions for sale or labelling.
For advice about licensing requirements for cell‑cultured food in Victoria contact Safe Food Victoria.
Updated