Cultivated meat, also known as cell-based meat or cultured meat, is an emerging technology which uses cellular agriculture to grow meat directly from cells. The end product aims to be identical to conventional meat, however, the need to breed and slaughter animals is no longer present. Cultivated meat offers a huge potential to greatly reduce inhumane farming practices and greatly lower the negative impact of farming livestock on our environment.

It is not because meat can never be vegan. While C-Label licensed products guarantee that all production materials outside the original sourcing are vegan, the original cell sourcing comes from an animal. Here the C-Label ensures that all interventions and procedures, in particular invasive ones, such as biopsies, are demonstrably necessary, painless and stress-free for the animals. No animals are intentionally killed in the entire manufacturing process.

Any product that consists exclusively of cultivated meat—produced by multiplying animal cells in a controlled environment—or a composite product where all additional ingredients are entirely vegan.

• Antibiotic use etc. can be reduced to almost zero
• No disease germs (salmonella, E. coli bacteria, etc.)
• Animal slaughter and suffering is no longer necessary for production of meat
• Less land consumption
• Less water consumption
• No methane gas and nitrous oxide emissions
• Faster meat production than raising animals without compromising quality
• Composition of the meat can be controlled
• Only what is desired is produced (no “slaughter by-products”)
• Sustainable pathway to feeding segments of population who are not plant-based

No. While FBS found common use in early cultured meat technologies, the C-Label guarantees that licensed products are FBS-free.

In order to produce cultivated meat, a cell source from an animal is necessary. While certain technologies use naturally fallen feathers to replicate chicken meat, others take a small muscle biopsy or skin sample from a healthy living animal. In addition, the cells used to produce fat and muscle can differ. The C-Label ensures that the sourcing was conducted in a method that is in line with standard veterinary practices and that no animal was killed during sourcing.

This still greatly varies amongst developers. Experts predict that the amount of yield will continue to grow greatly. Mosa Meat, for example, estimates that a 0.5 gram sample taken under anaesthesia is able to produce 80,000 burgers.

The C-Label was developed by the same team that created the V-Label. As products awarded the C-Label contain molecules identical to animal compounds, the traditional categorization into «vegan» and «vegetarian» is no longer possible. However, the same ideals that surround V-Label have also been applied to the C-Label. Our focus remains on animal welfare, which means that aside from the engineered compounds, all materials used in production are strictly vegan. Therefore, the C-Label is an ideal choice for consumers concerned with animal welfare.

Yes. Any product with a portion of cultivated ingredients can carry the C-Label as long as the other ingredients are vegan.

In December 2020, Singapore approved the world’s first food product for human consumption made from cell cultures: a chicken nugget that also includes plant-based proteins. However, approval has not yet been achieved in most regions around the world.

In Singapore and the USA, the authorities have granted authorization for cultivated meat products following a rigorous review. The production process takes place in highly controlled, sterile conditions, ensuring that the risk of harmful pathogens or contamination with harmful substances is eliminated.

No, obtaining a C-Label does not grant regulatory approval to sell your product in any market. Regulatory food and feed authorities, such as the FDA, FSA, or EFSA, are responsible for granting market access for novel foods.

A C-Label license confirms that a producer has met our criteria for transparency and production practices. It is an independent mark of quality, but is not a substitute for regulatory approval.

While regulatory authorities focus on safety and compliance for market access, C-Label provides additional assurance by certifying producers’ adherence to high production standards, adding value to the product’s credibility.

No, a C-Label license does not replace regulatory approval. Producers must still obtain all necessary clearances from food safety authorities before selling their products.

C-Label and F-Label serve distinct but complementary roles in the evolving food industry. C-Label is dedicated to cultivated products, ensuring transparency and consumer trust in products made from cells grown outside an animal. F-Label focuses on entirely animal-free production methods, assessing and certifying products made using precision fermentation, biomass fermentation, and other innovative techniques.