Standards and supervision go hand in hand to escort the development of the new protein industry

Plant-based proteins, cell-cultured meats, and protein products produced using fermentation technology are recognized as promising alternative protein sources
.
"The current progress of new protein scientific research and product development at home and abroad is gratifying, and there will be more diversified product categories, diversified local raw materials and ingredients
in the market.
At the same time, as more cell-cultured meat companies and companies using new food ingredients enter the commercialization stage, efforts need to be made to gain wider consumer acceptance
.
Recently, in the new protein roundtable discussion session of the China International Food Safety and Quality Control (CIFSQ) Conference held in Shanghai, experts pointed out that in addition to price, convenience, sensory properties and nutritional value, the factors affecting food consumption are food safety
.
Therefore, for the new protein industry, a sound industry standard and regulatory system will be indispensable
.
At the meeting, domestic and foreign experts conducted in-depth discussions
on the development status and future trend of the new protein industry and how regulatory agencies assess the safety and quality of alternative proteins.

The plant-based meat market went from hot to flat

Professor Guo Shuntang of China Agricultural University pointed out at the meeting that the domestic plant-based meat market has entered a more calm and rational stage
after a period of rapid development.

At this stage, in order to promote the standardization of products and protect the rights and interests of consumers, the Chinese Society of Food Science and Technology issued two group standards
, "Plant-based Meat Products" and "General Principles of Plant-based Foods", in 2020 and 2021.
Guo Shuntang said that the release of group standards has played an important role
in standardizing the market publicity and labeling of plant-based products in China.

Guo Shuntang believes that China is at the forefront
of the world in the formulation of plant-based protein standards.
At present, a number of international organizations and national agricultural sectors have borrowed from the above-mentioned group standards
.
In Guo Shuntang's view, such standards will not only promote the comprehensive integration of projects, achievements, technologies, markets and policies in the field of protein innovation, but also help build a communication platform
for domestic and foreign exchanges.
In October this year, the Chinese Society of Food Science and Technology released the Scientific Consensus on Plant-based Foods (2022 Edition), which systematically clarified the scientific connotation and processing technology of plant-based foods
.

Industry insiders believe that the introduction of group standards and scientific consensus such as the above can allow the plant-based industry to review, adjust and regulate itself more clearly from a scientific perspective, and also point out the direction
for the high-quality development of the industry.

Cultured meat transitions from scientific research to industrialization

Wang Shouwei, chief scientist of the China Meat and Food Comprehensive Research Center, said that after several years of development, China has accumulated some scientific research achievements
in the field of cell-cultured meat.
Today, in China, cell-cultured meat is in a critical period of transition from scientific research to industrialization, and will usher in a stage
of commercialization and marketization in the future.

In this process, the research of cultured meat should not only focus on technology research and development, but also focus on promoting research on laws and regulations, regulatory policies and standards
.
"Risk assessment of cell-cultured meat is not only the responsibility of safety regulators, but also requires the participation of scientific research institutions, and requires multi-party collaboration to improve the commercial ecosystem and lay a solid foundation
for cell-cultured meat to eventually enter the market.
" According to Wang Shouwei, the Chinese Academy of Engineering has set up projects
related to strategic consulting on cell-cultured meat.

Risk assessment varies

For now, plant-based systems with relatively mature technologies and regulations dominate the market in alternative proteins, while investments in fermentation and cell-cultured meat are catching up
.
Although the new protein products produced through the two technical paths of cell culture and fermentation are far from marketization, there have been great breakthroughs
at home and abroad in recent years.
For example, domestic cell culture meat companies have developed prototypes, products produced by two production methods, and have been marketed
globally.

Experts point out that the standards and regulations in the above major new protein areas are at different stages
of development.
The standard of plant-based protein is relatively mature, and the existing regulations can basically meet the demand; While the technology of cell culture meat is industrialized, a new risk assessment system is still needed to support its development; Microbial fermented proteins fall somewhere in between: existing regulations are partially applicable, but due to the diversity of fermented protein products, the regulations applicable to different production lines need to be refined separately according to the situation, and pre-market risk assessments
are done separately.

Wu Yongning, Technical Chief of the Food Safety Risk Assessment Center of the National Health Commission, introduced the assessment process
.
Wu Yongning said that the National Health Commission will do risk assessment of new food resources, and organize expert groups to complete corresponding work
from data collection, risk assessment to standard establishment.
By comparing the application materials and literature, the center evaluates a series of issues such as safety, natural toxins, and management methods of new food raw materials to manage potential risks
.
Newly applied raw materials can only be placed on the market
after obtaining all certificates and meeting food safety standards.

International regulatory harmonization is particularly important

In the process of advancing new protein standards and regulations, regulatory harmonization among countries around the world is particularly important
.
Vittorio Fattori, Food Safety Officer of the Food Systems and Food Safety Department of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), believes that a series of factors such as trade globalization, market changes, population growth, and climate change have brought new challenges to the global agri-food system, as well as safety and regulatory challenges
for the new protein industry.

According to Professor Christopher Elliot of Queen's University Belfast, in the UK, the new protein is mainly driven by the National Research and Innovation Agency of the United Kingdom, coordinating the three major directions
of research, industry and regulation.
Elliot hopes to work together globally to establish a unified new protein regulatory process and a global food safety control network
.

Singapore is making rapid progress in the field of new foods, especially cell-cultured meat, and has now achieved a post-commercialized regulatory system, which is worth learning from
other countries.
According to Singaporean expert Liu Dingrong, SFA is already working with FAO to share
Singapore's experience in new protein safety assessment internationally.
In addition, the World Health Organization (WHO) and other institutions are also actively organizing international exchanges on new proteins to encourage mutual cooperation
between all parties in the industrial chain.

Participants suggested that the regulation of new food source production systems needs to consider the complexity and multidimensionality of the global scale, and encourage countries to fill knowledge gaps and cooperate in the development of regulatory frameworks
for food safety management.

Match relevant policies to help industrial development

Looking forward to the future trend of new proteins, experts at the meeting said that whether it is the advancement of cell-cultured meat and fermented protein technology, or the good situation of plant-based investment and sales, it is necessary to match the corresponding regulations and risk assessment systems to regulate the new industry
.
Not only that, regulatory policies are a bridge between consumers and the industry, while protecting the health and safety of consumers, they can clarify the positioning and nutritional composition of innovative products, enhance consumer confidence, and stabilize the new protein industry
.

Scientifically applicable standards and policies will help the new protein industry position itself in the existing meat market, meet the needs of consumers in the context of diverse food cultures, and maintain the sustainable development
of new protein.

(Source: Gu Fu)

China Food News (November 21, 2022, version 06).

(Responsible editor: Yang Xiaojing)