Perdue Says USDA Should Oversee Cell-Based Meat, But FDA Has Early Role to Play

Before an upcoming meeting this month by USDA and FDA delving into the regulatory and labeling policy questions on cell-based meat, USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue said he believes FDA has a role to play early on, but that USDA should have oversight of the products once they reach the commercial stage, which cell-based meat developers predict could be as early as 2020.Perdue said he is not aware of any timeline by which the agencies would like to have a regulatory decision made on cell-based products.“They just asked us to work together and help define as this new technology comes about, and we look forward to working with FDA,” Perdue said referring to the upcoming October 23-24 meeting. “We believe that FDA has some equity at the beginning of this process in the laboratory in making sure they’re safe products that could be commercialized. When they come to the commercial stage, we think that’s USDA’s responsibility to regulate and to inspect those products, and that’s what we will work towards.”Perdue said his thinking is in line with an August 23 letter penned by cell-based meat developer Memphis Meats and the North American Meat Institute (NAMI), which asked USDA and FDA to “coordinate and collaborate in their efforts, consistent with established policy.”