Friday 26 July, 2024, Paris - Paris-based Gourmey, France's pioneering cultivated food company, announces it has filed applications with the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Singapore Food Agency (SFA), the Food Standards Agency (FSA) in the United Kingdom, the Swiss Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office (FSVO), and the European Commission (EC) and European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) to offer its flagship product to food enthusiasts, chefs, and restaurants, providing a new choice for foie gras enthusiasts globally.
Regulators worldwide have established robust regulatory frameworks to assess the safety of novel foods such as cultivated foods, with the US, Singapore and Israel having already approved their sale. In the EU, this is the first time a company seeks novel food approval for cultivated food from the European Commission. Gourmey does not use gene-edited or genetically-modified cells, so their application falls in scope of the novel food regulation. To support their novel food application, Gourmey has prepared a dossier in accordance with the relevant regulations and EFSA guidance, which is widely considered to represent the gold standard in novel food safety and risk assessment.
We look forward to continuing to work closely with the regulatory authorities to ensure full compliance with safety requirements throughout these procedures. We are confident that our products will meet these highly demanding standards, so that everyone who wants to can enjoy new gourmet experiences all around the world, said Gourmey’s CEO Nicolas Morin-Forest.
The premium segment has always been at the forefront of food trends, where the most exciting innovations occur. We are witnessing thrilling commercial traction for our first product in many regions where chefs want to keep serving high-quality foie gras. Starting with haute-cuisine acts as a catalyst for our future product launches, with chefs serving as the best ambassadors to introduce new product categories to consumers and drive sustainability, adds Nicolas Morin-Forest.
Gourmey is backed by a global network of partners to facilitate the company’s market entry, including fine food distributors, chef ambassadors, and supply chain and research partners.
This innovation comes at a decisive time when consumers are increasingly seeking new ways to enjoy delicious culinary experiences while embracing sustainable expectations.
With Gourmey’s global ambitions and meat consumption in Asia projected to rise by 80% by 2050, the company is actively engaged in these regions, particularly in markets like Singapore, Japan, and South Korea where there is significant momentum around cultivated foods.
A study commissioned by Gourmey, anticipating at-scale production, shows that the company’s innovative technology significantly lowers the environmental footprint compared to conventional production in the same product category. In particular, greenhouse gas emissions, land and water use would be reduced.
The study is conducted under the external scientific leadership of Professor Hanna Tuomisto from the University of Helsinki and the Natural Resources Institute Finland, a leading European scholar and pioneer in the field of life cycle assessments of novel foods, including cultivated food.
Diversifying protein production is crucial for sustaining food security and contributing to sustainability objectives such as decarbonization and biodiversity. Integrating cultivated food production into existing agrifood value chains provides a complementary protein source that will contribute to resilient food systems, says Nicolas Morin-Forest.
This important milestone for our ecosystem was achieved thanks to fabulous teamwork. Now a new chapter for Gourmey begins - the chapter of bringing French food innovation to the global stage, adds NicolasMorin-Forest.
Founded in 2019, Gourmey creates sustainable gourmet products directly from non-GMO animal cells by combining food innovation with culinary arts. The company now comprises a 60-strong international team at its food innovation center in Paris, France. Since its inception, Gourmey has secured over €65 million in public and private investments and is currently preparing for market entry, pending regulatory approvals. Gourmey focuses on providing new and delicious culinary experiences, with its flagship product set to offer a new choice for foie gras aficionados, chefs, and restaurants globally.
Cultivated foods and proteins are based on cell culture technologies that have been used to produce food for decades, for example, for growing yeasts for bread baking or for the production of rennet in cheese. Beginning with a small sample of animal cells and nurturing them in a nutrient-rich growth medium, the cells grow into muscle, fat or other tissues. The growth medium contains the same ingredients, e.g., sugars, proteins, vitamins, minerals that are required in animal nutrition. In Gourmey’s cultivation process, no animal-derived components, such as fetal bovine serum, are used, ensuring that the final product is free of these elements. Furthermore, antibiotics are not used during production and are not present in the final product.
High-resolution images and logo of Gourmey: presskit.gourmey.com.
