Harnessing the power of alternative proteins
A world where plant-based, fermentation-derived and cultivated products are no longer the exception
Our services
Food law support
With an innovative product often comes regulatory challenges. We help you navigate complex issues to unlock new markets and opportunities.
Training
Our courses have been designed to help you learn about the various food laws, key legislation and understand the potential challenges you may encounter.
Business development
Expanding your market share or gaining new markets is constrained by rigid regulatory considerations. We help you address them early on to maximise your growth.
Our expertise
We help you navigate the regulatory landscape applicable to alternative proteins in the European Union, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Canada, the United States, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand.
Other markets may be considered on demand.
Plant-based proteins
The potential of the Kingdom Plantae remains largely untapped as we only consume about 6% of the edible species. Species not normally eaten will most likely have to go through a stringent approval system and their field of applications must be carefully selected to ensure you are not missing any potential markets.
Fermentation-derived
Fermentation-derived production methods are far from being a novelty in the food industry. However, the technologies chosen by the companies to create groundbreaking products derived from this technic determine the regulations they have to abide to. We help you understand how to navigate legal provisions and assess any potential issue.
Cellular agriculture
The insatiable need for animal proteins have created a dire situation by accelerating environmental destruction and worsening animal welfare. Cellular agriculture can be the answer to satisfy the growing demand for animal proteins in a more sustainable and ethical way. We assist you to demonstrate the safety of your products to responsible authorities.
Traditional foods
Food is a global phenomenon which nonetheless remains regulated at a local scale. We guide through the procedure to have traditional foods authorised in a foreign market.
Novel foods
Bringing to the market new types of food that have never been eaten before will usually trigger the application of novel food regulations. We help you design your dossier to obtain approval for your product.
Single cell proteins
Derived from microorganisms such as yeast, fungi, algae and bacteria, they may have not been authorised as ingredients yet. We conduct a thorough assessment to check whether your product needs regulatory approval.
GMO and GMMs
Issued from biotechnology, they have the potential to enhance specific features of alternative proteins but they may be required to have their safety assessed by authorities before their commercialization. We accompany you to design your regulatory strategy.
Animal testing
When your product must undergo a risk assessment, authorities may commonly ask for in vivo testing while in vitro or in silico methods exist. Testing done on animals really translated to humans, hence our dedication to help you identity animal-free testing options.
Clean labelling
This trend in the food industry does not benefit from dedicated regulations but remains nonetheless governed by general provisions. We assist you in creating genuine claims that do not come across as misleading.
Sustainability
Most commonly related to the environmental impacts of a given food, sustainability claims are not regulated by mandatory labelling rules yet. Therefore, you must design them in a way that does not mislead consumers.
Health and nutrition claims
They are used to display the health and nutritional benefits of a certain foodstuff. However, jurisdictions only allow them if they comply with a specific set of rules. We verify your claims may be used or help you file for an authorisation if needed.
Vegan claims
Veganism is a philosophy of life, way of living and has even been recognised as an ethical belief. Sadly, authorities and some companies often mistake the term vegan for plant-based. Consumer protection may also step in We advise you against choosing a certification body to affirm the vegan integrity of your product.
Mutual recognition
Although food is primarily regulated at a local level, countries may have concluded some free trade agreements that contain a mutual recognition clause for alternative proteins that have been authorised iin another state. We will check for you if approval granted in a jurisdiction can be accepted in another one.
Private labels
Often used when no specific regulation is applicable to the matter in question, private labels may represent a valuable alternative to showcase the added value of your product. However, their content must be carefully defined in order to prevent any risk of deception and infringement on legal provisions. We help you address any potential risk in creating a private label.
Testimonials
“Mathilde clearly brings both deep subject matter expertise and personal drive to the novel foods sector. I would recommend her to companies navigating the overlooked intricacies of commercializing a novel food product across borders.”
– Blue Horizon
“Mathilde provided a detailed overview of the regulatory landscape applicable to products derived from precision fermentation. Her insight allowed us to assess risks and opportunities for both the European (EU and UK) and US markets. The level of detail and expertise in this area allowed our team to feel confident in making any assumptions about this market to our customers.”
– Ezassi
ABOUT
Mathilde Do Chi is an international food law consultant. She has worked across the board in the food industry for both the private and public sectors ranging from law and consultancy firms, governmental research bodies, NGOs, the United Nations to a multinational. Her experience gave her a significant advantage in tackling legal and policy challenges from diverse angles.
Eager to combat climate change, help people reduce their consumption of animal-based products, eat healthfully, and ultimately eliminate animal suffering, she has been involved in veganism since 2020 through several vegan organizations as the Vice-President of Regulatory Affairs for both the Vegan World Alliance and the Vegan Society of Canada, and as the Chief Compliance Officer at BeVeg International.
Through Vegan Food Law, she combines her passion for veganism by helping you to launch animal-free food better for the planet, the animals and people’s health.
