V-Label, the globally recognized certification body known for its vegan and vegetarian product seals, is now extending its reach to certify cultivated meat producers worldwide with its new C-Label, a certification aimed at cell-based or cultivated animal products. This marks a significant step in the world of alternative proteins.

Cultivated meat, also known as cultured or lab-grown meat, is produced by extracting cells from animals and growing them in controlled environments. The process does not require the slaughter of animals, thus reducing harm and suffering. The cells are nurtured in bioreactors, where they develop into muscle tissue, eventually forming meat that is genetically identical to conventionally produced meat.
This new certification is poised to boost consumer confidence in the emerging field of lab-grown meat, offering a transparent and trustworthy mark for products made from real animal cells cultivated in a lab. While cultivated meat is not suitable for vegans, it provides a slaughter-free alternative that uses fewer resources than traditional meat production, positioning it as a more sustainable option for the future.
The announcement comes with a major milestone: Meatly, a UK-based startup, has become the first company to receive the C-Label for its cultivated chicken, setting a precedent for the industry. “As we move closer and closer towards a world where cultivated meat will become the norm, certification such as the C-Label will be increasingly necessary for consumer confidence in this new and revolutionary product,” said Owen Ensor, co-founder and CEO of Meatly.
Last year, Meatly received approval from UK regulatory bodies, including the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA), to supply cultivated chicken meat to pet food manufacturers.
Read more: UK Approves Lab-Grown Meat for Pet Food
V-Label’s founder, Renato Pichler, emphasized that the certification process goes beyond the final product. “We certify producers of the cells, but also the producers of the end product,” Pichler explained. “Everything has to start with the production of the cells. But you can’t certify an end product if you haven’t already certified the actual cell production behind it.” He added that the rapidly developing market for cultivated meat products needs transparency, and the C-Label aims to provide just that.
To qualify for the C-Label, products must meet stringent requirements:
- Animal-Free Media: C-Label products must not require animal-based media in their production process.
- Animal Welfare: All interventions and procedures, especially invasive ones like biopsies, must be demonstrably necessary, painless, and stress-free for the animals. No animals are killed in or for the entire procurement and manufacturing process.
- GMO-Free: C-Label products must not contain GMOs, according to existing regulations (GMOs may be used in the process but not in the final product).
- Antibiotics-Free: C-Label products must not require antibiotics in the production process and must be free from antibiotics.
- Pathogen-Free: C-Label products must come from a production process free from pathogens (such as salmonella or E. coli), ensuring the final product is pathogen-free.
- Heavy Metals and Plastics-Free: C-Label products must contain virtually no heavy metals or plastics.
- Cell Extraction: When cells are derived from a living animal, the process must be as painless and stress-free as possible, with extractions kept to a minimum and well-founded.
- Cell Use: The C-Label promotes animal-free technologies, permitting only immortalized cells to minimize the need for continuous cell extraction.
The C-Label isn’t just for food products. It can also be applied to non-food items such as leather, provided they meet the same rigorous standards. However, products like cell-based chocolate or coffee are not eligible for certification under the current guidelines, as the C-Label was specifically developed for products derived from animal cells.
The debate over whether cultivated meat can be considered vegan remains divisive. The Vegan Society has firmly stated that such products can never be classified as vegan, a stance that V-Label aligns with. “We do not consider cultivated meat vegan, as it is molecularly identical to conventional meat and by definition cannot entirely exclude animal sourcing from the production process,” Pichler stated. “While C-Label licensed products guarantee that all production materials outside the original sourcing are vegan, the original cell sourcing comes from an animal.”
Despite the controversy, Pichler sees the potential for cultivated meat to reduce animal suffering, which is why V-Label believes it is important to support the technology. “We have been monitoring this technology for a long time, and it has been clear to us from the beginning that we would not consider it vegan. However, we also see a huge potential to reduce animal suffering, which is why we consider its promotion relevant,” he added.
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