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Enzi-Tester bill would make FDA-USDA agreement on cell-culture technology the law of the land

December 13, 2019 - from Food Safety News:

"A bipartisan pair of influential Western senators wants to 'cement into law how government agencies regulate food produced using animal cell-culture technology.'"

"Sens. Mike Enzi, R-WY, and Jon Tester, D-MT, have introduced legislation to ensure that an agreement reached earlier this year between the Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture will have the force of law."

"Enzi is one of the most senior Republicans in the GOP-controlled Senate. He chairs the powerful budget committee. Tester was the sponsor of the only successful major amendment to the Food Safety Modernization Act of 2011. The Senate’s only organic farmer, Tester’s amendment exempted small producers from the law."

"Enzi and Tester say the FDA-USDA agreement was designed to leverage the expertise of both agencies to protect the country’s food supply and help ensure safe and accurately-labeled products."

"Cell-culture technology may allow developers in labs to grow animal tissue for human consumption from animal cell cultures. Commercialization of the resulting products is expected in the coming years."

"For food products derived from livestock or poultry cells, the agreement — which this legislation would codify — charges FDA with overseeing the process of multiplying collected cells to make edible tissue and USDA with overseeing the processing, packaging, and labeling. For products not derived from livestock or poultry cells, FDA would oversee all phases of development and production."

Bill text is here