South Korea establishes special regulation-free zone for meat industry

The South Korean government has designated a special regulation-free zone in Gyeongsangbuk-do province to accelerate the development and commercialization of cultured meat. The purpose of the zone, officially named Gyeongbuk Special Regulation-Free Zone for Cell-Grown Foods, is to remove regulatory obstacles and set global standards for novel foods.

The zone, which will operate for the next five years, has a budget of 19.9 billion yen ($14.4 million) and will be home to 10 companies, including SeaWith, TissenBioFarm and DaNAgreen. These companies will demonstrate the commercialization of cultured meat using cells derived from farm animal samples and will receive research and development funding and tax credits.

First, the companies will create cell banks from high-purity cells obtained from live animals and fresh meat, setting quality and safety standards in storage, handling and production. In the second phase, they will demonstrate mass production and commercialization, including developing methods such as 3D printing and creating food additives.

The designation of the special zone is expected to increase the competitiveness of companies such as TissenBioFarm, which believes it will enable them to partner with local companies to achieve growth. The South Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety has been assessing the safety and production processes of cultured meat since the inclusion of official alternative protein guidelines in the 2022 National Plan.

The ministry has also started accepting applications for approval of cultured meat, which was previously limited to research and development purposes only. The designation of the special zone is expected to create an ecosystem for the cell culture industry in the region, removing the biggest obstacle to the development of cell culture-based food products.