For the first time, cultivated-meat products have gained approval for sale in Australia. This significant milestone allows local start-up Vow to market its innovative cell-cultured quail.
This development follows a thorough multi-year food safety assessment conducted by Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) and necessitated modifications to the regulator’s codes of standards.
According to the Asia-Pacific division of the Good Food Institute (GFI)—a think tank focused on plant-based and cell-based protein alternatives—this move establishes a pivotal precedent for global regulators.
Based in Sydney, Vow produces its Japanese-inspired quail under the Forged brand, which debuted last year in selected Singapore restaurants. Notably, Singapore was the first nation to authorize the sale of cell-cultured meat for commercial consumption.
In 2020, Singapore became the first country to authorize the sale of cell-cultivated meat for human consumption. This was followed three years later by the US, and Israel last year.
George Peppou, founder and CEO of Vow, remarked, “Australia has always punched above its weight when it comes to food – we’re a country of curious, creative, deeply thoughtful chefs and diners. To now be able to offer something completely new – not an imitation, but a new category of meat – is something we’re incredibly excited about. While other markets face regulatory uncertainty, Australia is embracing innovation, and consumers are ready to try something new and delicious.”
With domestic market approval secured, Vow plans to launch sales in “dozens of Australia’s most exciting venues,” including the acclaimed Sydney restaurant NEL and the Italian outlet Bottarga in Melbourne.
As part of the approval process, FSANZ has also developed category-wide requirements and guidance for cultivated meat producers. This aligns cultivated meat more closely with standardized requirements for conventional food categories, according to GFI.
Mirte Gosker, CEO of GFI APAC, stated on LinkedIn, “Meat has never been more popular, especially in Asian markets that import top-quality proteins from down under. The challenge is that conventional production methods are highly inefficient: we currently feed up to 100 calories to a cow to produce just one calorie of beef.”
She added, “Australia’s public embrace of cellular agriculture could enable local food producers to sell healthy and delicious cultivated proteins through existing agricultural distribution networks, adding substantial new revenue streams to their ledgers. It also sets the stage for greater international regulatory harmonization, unlocking export opportunities across the world’s most populous region.”