• Guidance

Cell-cultivated products: classification and HACCP principles

Applying the hygiene regulations to cell-cultivated products

Content: Guidance

Published by:

  • Food Standards Scotland
  • Food Standards Agency

Relevant legislation

The classification of cell-cultivated products as POAO means companies within the scope of this guidance producing cell-cultivated products will need to comply with the relevant requirements of all applicable regulations included in the table below. These provide clear and robust guidelines for companies to follow and ensure consumer safety. 

SubjectAssimilated RegulationNotes
Food safetyRegulation (EC) 178/2002 – General Requirements of Food Law Not POAO specific
Food hygieneRegulation (EC) 852/2004 – Hygiene of Foodstuffs 
Regulation (EC) 853/2004 – Specific Hygiene Rules for Food of Animal Origin 
Regulation (EC) 2017/625 on Official Controls   
Regulation (EC) 2073/2005 – Microbiological Criteria for FoodstuffsNot POAO specific
Food informationRegulation (EU) 1169/2011 on the Provision of Food Information to ConsumersNot POAO specific
Animal by-productsRegulation (EC) 1069/2009 on Animal By-productsNot POAO specific

Directly applicable EU legislation no longer applies in GB.  EU legislation retained when the UK exited the EU became assimilated law on 1 January 2024, published on legislation.gov.uk. References to any legislation in FSA guidance with ‘EU’ or ‘EC’ in the title (e.g. Regulation (EC) 178/2002) should now be regarded as assimilated law where applicable to GB and as directly applicable EU law where applicable to Northern Ireland. References to ‘Retained EU Law’ or ‘REUL’ should now be regarded as references to assimilated law. 

For businesses moving goods from Great Britain to Northern Ireland, information on the Windsor Framework including the NI Retail Movement Scheme (NIRMS) is available on GOV.UK. 

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