Summary
Cell-cultivated products (CCPs) made from animal cells are considered to be Products of Animal Origin (POAO) for regulatory purposes, consistent with published FSS and Food Standards Agency (FSA) guidance, although this classification is not explicitly specified in legislation.
This guidance explains the steps you should take to export cell-cultivated product POAO from GB to non-EU countries. It signposts further information to help you through the process. We recommend that you also read the full step-by-step guide on exports from UK
This guidance describes the process for exporting cell-cultivated products (CCPs) derived from animal cells from Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales). References to the UK are used where relevant requirements apply across all UK nations. As different regulatory requirements may apply in Northern Ireland under the Windsor Framework, if you are a business intending to export CCPs from Northern Ireland you should seek advice on the requirements that apply to your circumstances.
CCPs do not currently benefit from internationally recognised sanitary and phytosanitary classifications or established export certification arrangements. Consequently, unlike many traditional animal-derived products, there are no standard export certificate templates specifically for CCPs. While this process map draws on the requirements that typically apply to Products of Animal Origin (POAO), CCP export applications are likely to be assessed on a case-by-case basis and may require engagement with destination country competent authorities to determine the applicable import, certification and market access requirements.
The process map relates to CCPs exported from GB for placement on the market in non-EU jurisdictions. Depending on the destination country's regulatory framework, placement on the market may require a novel food authorisation or another form of pre-market approval.
Regulatory classification
Cell-cultivated products are not defined as 'meat'. For regulatory purposes, FSS and the FSA considers CCPs derived from animal cells to fall within the scope of Products of Animal Origin (POAO), although Regulation (EC) 853/2004 does not explicitly classify them as such.
FSS and the FSA published this position in December 2025, in Cell-cultivated products: guidance on classification and HACCP principles. It applies to products regulated in Great Britain. Countries you export to may apply different classifications for their own import controls and market access.
When you harvest cell-cultivated biomass (cells harvested from the bioreactor), you process it. This means cell-cultivated products count as processed POAO or composite products. FSS and the FSA published this position in July 2026, in Cell-cultivated products: food business hygiene requirements.
Legislation
The main UK regulations that apply are:
- Regulation (EU) 2015/2283 - Novel Foods
- Regulation (EC) 853/2004 - Hygiene of Foodstuffs of Animal Origin
- Regulation (EC) 852/2004 - General Hygiene of Foodstuffs
- Regulation (EC) 178/2002 - General Food Law
- Regulation (EU) 2017/625 - Official Controls
- Trade in Animals and Related Products (“TARP”) Regulations 2011 (SI No.1197/2011)
- Trade in Animals and Related Products (Scotland) Regulations 2012 (SSI 2012 No.177)
- Trade in Animals and Related Products (Wales) Regulations 2011 (SI No. 2011/2379)
Process map: exporting cell-cultivated POAO from Great Britain (GB) to non-EU countries
This process map outlines the steps you should take to export cell-cultivated products produced in Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) to other countries. Different requirements may apply if you’re exporting from Northern Ireland under the Windsor Framework, and different requirements apply depending on whether you’re exporting to EU, Northern Ireland or non-EU countries.
Import requirements for cell-cultivated products are evolving internationally and vary between countries. You should always check current requirements with the competent authority in your destination country before you export.
This document is intended to provide an indicative overview of potential export requirements and processes. It is not a substitute for the relevant legislation, official guidance issued by competent authorities, or independent legal advice. In the event of any inconsistency between this document and applicable legislation or destination-country requirements, the legislation and destination-country requirements shall take precedence.
Export pathways for these products are still being developed and tested, so some steps may change as we gain experience and export systems become established. Following this process does not guarantee that you’ll be able to export, that certification will be available, or that your destination country will approve the import of your product. Export requirements depend on the laws and import conditions of your destination country, and on decisions made by the relevant competent authorities.
As the export pathways for CCPs are tested, feedback from industry on this guidance will help us to refine and update it where necessary. Please contact exported.food@food.gov.uk if you have any information you feel would be useful to add to the process map.