Articles

How New Policies Are Shaping Industry Growth, Innovation Funding, and the Scale-Up of Biotechnology

As the global food system faces mounting pressures, from climate change and zoonotic disease outbreaks to geopolitical instability and resource scarcity, regulatory frameworks are evolving rapidly. These changes are far more than bureaucratic shifts; they are shaping the future of food by enabling innovation, accelerating commercialisation, and redefining what it means to eat sustainably and nutritiously.

Industry Growth: Regulation as a Catalyst for Innovation

The food industry is undergoing a transformation, driven by the urgent need to build more resilient, sustainable, and ethical food systems. Didier Toubia, CEO of Aleph Farms, highlights how the conversation has shifted from carbon mitigation to broader concerns like climate adaptation and protein diversification. “Geopolitical tensions, water scarcity, and disease outbreaks in animal agriculture have increased the focus on alternative protein production,” he explains.

Owen Ensor, CEO of Meatly, sees regulation not as a barrier but as a strategic lever. “We view shifting regulations not as roadblocks, but as opportunities,” he says. Meatly’s proactive engagement with regulators and industry partners such as its collaboration with Pets at Home to launch cultivated pet treats, demonstrates how transparency and partnership can accelerate industry credibility and growth.

Alex Neves, CEO of Clean Food Group, agrees that evolving policy is a powerful enabler if companies are proactive. “We build regulatory strategy into R&D and commercial planning,” he explains. “Designing for compliance ensures our products meet today’s standards and are future-proofed for tomorrow’s expectations in food safety, sustainability, and health.”

Rami Jokela, CEO of Solar Foods, emphasises the scalability of fermentation-based protein production. “New fermentation-based food production methods can already deliver yields ten times higher than traditional agriculture,” he notes. His company’s protein, Solein, is already approved in Singapore and the US, with EU approval expected in 2026.

Commercialisation of Novel Foods & Ingredients

Despite regulatory complexity, the commercialisation of novel foods is gaining momentum. Dana Wilson, Manager of Research & Engagement at the Fairr Initiative, notes that climate change and zoonotic disease risks are pushing large food companies to diversify beyond traditional animal agriculture. “Novel proteins offer superior functionality and help maintain consumer satisfaction,” she says, pointing to precision-fermented ingredients like whey and casein as key innovations.

Rodrigo Ledesma-Amaro, Director of the Bezos Centre for Sustainable Protein at Imperial College London, underscores the UK’s leadership in regulatory innovation. Initiatives like the Cultivated Cell Product Sandbox and the FSA Innovation Hub are streamlining approval processes and supporting startups. “The UK is also investing significantly in engineering biology, a key technology for developing sustainable, healthy, and affordable novel foods,” he adds.

However, Jokela warns that regional disparities in regulatory speed can lead to European innovations being commercialised elsewhere first. “The regulatory process is faster in other markets, which unfortunately can result in European innovations being commercialised elsewhere,” he says. This underscores the need for more harmonised global frameworks to ensure equitable access to innovation.

Nutrition: Science-Driven Policy for Healthier Food Systems

As consumers demand healthier, cleaner-label products, policy is playing a critical role in defining and standardising what “healthy” means. Maha Tahiri, CEO of Nutrition Sustainability Strategies, argues that regulatory frameworks must bridge scientific evidence and consumer trust. “Regulatory fragmentation transforms complexity into a sustainable competitive advantage,” she explains, noting that companies can strategically launch in favourable markets before expanding globally.

Alex Neves reinforces this point, emphasising that policy plays a vital role in building consumer trust and levelling the playing field. “There is a growing requirement for clear, evidence-based frameworks that define what ‘healthy’ means and make that definition consistent across regions and categories,” he says. Standardisation supports transparency and incentivises reformulation with healthier, more sustainable ingredients.

Tahiri also emphasises the importance of pre-competitive research to establish scientific consensus. “Scientific rigour is not just a regulatory requirement but a competitive necessity,” she says. With the FDA now allowing nuts and olive oil to carry “healthy” claims, and functional beverages qualifying for health claims, the door is open for science-backed nutrition products to scale globally.

Neves adds that clear policy frameworks unlock space for responsible innovation. “With the right guardrails and incentives, we can reimagine ingredients like fats, proteins, and flavourings,” he says, pointing to the potential for lower-calorie, nutritionally complete offerings.

Global Regulatory Momentum: A Patchwork of Progress

From Singapore’s early approvals to Australia’s restaurant-ready cultivated meats, regions are moving at different speeds but in the same direction. Ensor sees this as a sign of growing global momentum. “More governments are recognising how cultivated meat can drive sustainability, food security, and innovation,” he says.

Wilson notes that the UK’s post-Brexit regulatory agility such as its approval of cultivated meat for pet food and the launch of the Cell-Cultivated Regulatory Sandbox is attracting global attention. Backed by £3 million from the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, the UK is positioning itself as a global leader in food tech regulation.

Ledesma-Amaro adds that the UK’s support for precision breeding and engineering biology is laying the groundwork for future breakthroughs in plant-based and microbial foods. “It would be great to see a similar initiative for fermentation and microbial food,” he suggests.

Jokela, meanwhile, points to Singapore and the US as early adopters of novel food regulation. “Singapore was the first country to grant novel food approval for Solein back in 2022,” he says. These early wins are helping to build momentum and set precedents for other regions to follow.

Strategic Adaptation: Navigating Complexity as a Competitive Edge

In a world of regulatory divergence, adaptability is essential. Tahiri stresses that “one-size-fits-all approaches no longer work,” and companies must develop localised strategies that align with regional cultural and political realities. Regulatory expertise, she argues, is becoming a key competitive differentiator, especially as compliance costs soar, reaching $403 million annually in the US alone.

Whether through early engagement with regulators, investment in scientific validation, or strategic market entry, the companies shaping the future of food are those that can navigate and influence the evolving regulatory landscape.

Conclusion: A New Era for Food Innovation

The future of food is being shaped not just in labs and kitchens, but in regulatory offices and policy forums around the world. As governments respond to the urgent need for sustainable, nutritious, and resilient food systems, companies that embrace regulatory complexity as a strategic advantage will be best positioned to lead.

From cultivated meats and precision fermentation to science-backed nutrition and engineering biology, the next generation of food innovation is already here. The challenge -and the opportunity - lies in scaling it responsibly, equitably, and globally.

As regulation reshapes the food landscape, Future Food-Tech London offers a front-row seat to the strategies and solutions defining what comes next. ‌Explore the full programme and speakers.