USDA, FDA to hold joint meeting on cell culture technology

The topic of cell culture technology and the products produced from it is a controversial one throughout the industry as well as in Washington. US Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue and US Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb on Sept. 10 announced a joint public meeting Oct. 23-24 to focus on the potential hazards, oversight considerations, and labeling of cell cultured food products derived from livestock and poultry. The public meeting will be held on Oct. 23 from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Oct. 24 from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Jefferson Auditorium in the USDA South Building, 1400 Independence Ave. SW, Washington, DC, 20250.“This is an important opportunity to hear from the agricultural industry and consumers as we consider the regulatory framework for these new products,” Perdue said. “American farmers and ranchers feed the world, but as technology advances, we must consider how to inspect and regulate to ensure food safety, regardless of the production method.”