Source: POLITICO'S MORNING AGRICULTURE, 8/24/18

After a monthslong public spat over whether FDA or USDA would ultimately get jurisdiction over cell-cultured meat products, Memphis Meats and the North American Meat Institute have come to their own decision: How about both?

In a letter to Trump on Thursday, NAMI and Memphis Meats, a San Francisco cell-cultured meat startup, outlined how they would like to see both FDA and USDA have a role in overseeing the growing sector.

The joint statement comes after a public turf battle between the two agencies. The two are also calling for a joint meeting involving the White House, USDA, FDA, meat-industry interests and representatives of the cell-cultured meat industry.
Finally, a name? The two said they have also agreed on a preferred way to refer to the new wave of products: "cell-based meat and poultry."

Share the sandbox: The letter suggested that FDA should have oversight over premarket safety evaluations and that USDA should then regulate the products "as it does with all other meat and poultry products, applying relevant findings from FDA's safety evaluation to ensure products are safe, wholesome, and properly labeled."

TBD: It remains to be seen how the rest of the meat and cell-cultured meat landscape will respond. The U.S. Cattlemen's Association on Thursday called the move "a positive step forward, but there is still work to be done as we look to how these products are ultimately labeled and whether they are included at the meat counter."