V-Label International Launches New 'C-Label' For Cultivated Meat

V-Label International Launches New ‘C-Label’ For Cultivated Meat

Products branded with the new C-Label must adhere to strict standards

23rd January 2025

2 Minutes Read

V-Label has just launched a new ‘C-Label’ for cultivated meat.

The Swiss organization is best known for its internationally recognized V-Label leaf logo, which it uses to certify vegan and vegetarian products. By creating a new C-Label, V-Label aims to help enhance customers’ “trust and acceptance” of cultivated meat.

Cultivated meat – also known as lab-grown or cell-based meat – is an alternative protein created using real animal cells in a laboratory setting. It is not suitable for vegans, but it is slaughter-free and consumes far fewer resources than traditional animal agriculture.

“We envision that, in the near future, consumers will have the option to choose between meat produced from animals and cultivated meat which is more humane and better for the environment,” said V-Label co-director Martin Ranninger in a statement.

Key features of the new C-Label include: that products do not require “animal-based media” in their production process; that all “interventions and procedures” must be necessary, painless, and stress-free; that no animals are killed for or during production; that products are free from antibiotics, pathogens, plastics, and heavy metals; and that entirely animal-free technologies are promoted wherever possible throughout the production process.

Cultivated meat offers ‘huge potential’ to tackle animal agriculture

Photo shows a blue-gloved hand holding up a Petri Dish of cultivated meat — Adobe Stock Producing alternative proteins in a lab avoids the need for traditional animal agriculture

Cellular agriculture is a burgeoning sector of food production, though not without some controversy. Several companies have announced technological breakthroughs over the last year, but the list of places where cultivated meat is actually available remains short.

Cultivated protein for companion animals like cats and dogs was approved in the UK in 2024, allowing British start-up Meatly to sell its chicken to “pet” food manufacturers. Meatly’s cultivated chicken will also be the world’s first product to feature the new C-Label.

“Cultivated meat offers a huge potential to eliminate inhumane farming practices and greatly lower the negative impact of farming livestock on our environment,” said V-Label founder Renato Pichler. “Our certification for cell-based meat is a testament to our dedication to pushing the boundaries of what is possible in sustainable food production.”