CRS Japan Association for Cellular Agriculture (JACA) held its 3rd JACA Research Group Meeting on Wednesday, June 16, 2020, inviting Mr. Brian Sylvester, an attorney, as a speaker.
Mr. Sylvester was in charge of regulatory affairs for meat and genetically modified foods at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and is currently practicing law at a law firm in Washington, DC.
Mr. Sylvester gave a presentation on the regulatory landscape of cell cultured foods in the U.S., based on the understanding that “Clear regulations are necessary to gain consumers’ acceptance and promote innovations in meat alternatives that use new technologies.”
In the U.S., a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on the regulation of cell-cultured foods was signed between the USDA and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in March 2019, and the two authorities will be jointly responsible for the implementation of the regulatory framework. Mr. Sylvester expressed his belief that it is important to find a way to label cell-cultured foods in such a way as to give a clean impression, as political wrangling is expected to continue.