Gourmey, a French startup producing cultivated foie gras, has become the first company to apply for regulatory approval to sell cultivated meat in the EU. The company has also submitted applications in Singapore, Switzerland, the UK, and the US.

The approval process is governed by the Novel Foods Regulation, one of the most robust food safety frameworks globally. The European Commission will assess the product's safety, nutritional value, and potential social, economic, and environmental impacts. Moreover, member states and scientific experts at the European Food Safety Authority will also provide input for the process.

If approved, Gourmey's cultivated foie gras can be sold in all 27 EU countries. The company claims this innovation can coexist with culinary traditions, potentially reducing environmental impacts and animal welfare concerns while supporting investment and providing future-proof jobs.

Analyst QuickTake: Despite getting a headstart over Europe, recent regulatory measures in the US have halted its progress in the cultivated meat industry. In contrast, there has been an uptick in activity in the UK and EU countries, including cultivated meat tastings ( Meatable , Mosa Meat ) and submissions for approvals . While the EU regulatory process is more complex and time-consuming than the US, the challenges in the US seem to have made European nations more attractive to companies in the cultivated meat sector.