Australia Just Made Cultivated Meat Real With VOW Quail Approval

It’s happened. After years of speculation, lobbying, and lab-grown ambition, Australia has formally approved Vow’s cell-cultured quail for human consumption.

Source: VOW -Australia - Cultivated Quail Parfait

The official amendment to the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code has been gazetted, cementing Australia’s place as the first Southern Hemisphere country to sign off on cultivated meat and only the fourth in the world to do so, after Singapore, the U.S., and Israel. But this isn’t just a novelty or media stunt, this is a landmark regulatory event with teeth. For startups, investors, and policy wonks, it sends a clear message: there’s now a replicable pathway, not just a one-off permit. Australia isn’t flirting with food tech, it’s open for business.

Vow’s play is poetic. The first offering won’t be a burger or nugget. Instead, the Sydney-based food company is launching a fine-dining delicacy called Forged Parfait, a foie gras-style treat made from cultivated Japanese quail cells, served alongside an edible tallow candle that melts into a dipping sauce. It’s decadent, deliberate, and designed to shift the cultivated meat narrative from “sci-fi substitute” to “luxury reimagined.” No lab coats in sight, just chefs, sommeliers, and a flickering flame of edible innovation.

VOW Founder and CEO George Peppou says, “This approval sets an important precedent and sends a strong signal: Australia’s cultivated meat industry is open for business.” And he’s right.

Source: VOW - Cultivated Quail serving ideas

After two years of scientific review, public consultation, and data-heavy documentation, FSANZ didn’t just wave it through, they built a pathway. That’s the real story here. This isn’t a loophole, it’s a launchpad. And if you’re wondering what’s next, look no further than Magic Valley, the Melbourne-based biotech aiming to bring cultivated lamb mince to Aussie plates by 2026. That was the original timeline. With this precedent? It could happen much sooner.

Technically, this also opens the door for New Zealand, which shares the same Food Standards Code. Will Wellington step up or stall out? That’s a political question as much as a regulatory one. But one thing’s certain Kiwi innovators like Opo Bio now have more reason than ever to push forward, especially if Australia becomes a magnet for APAC investment and pilot launches.

Let’s be clear, this isn’t about replacing meat. Not yet. It’s about expanding what meat means. Vow is smartly bypassing the price-warred supermarket aisle and heading straight for prestige plates where novelty and ethics sell at a premium. It’s culinary theatre meets food system rethink, plus a dollop of post-animal narrative for good measure.

Want the inside scoop? Vow’s regulatory lead Kim Tonnet breaks down the process here. Or dive into the FSANZ decision in full if that’s your flavour. But the takeaway is simple, the cultivated meat industry no longer exists in a legal vacuum in our region. It has footing, language, and legal standing.

Bottom line? The door’s now open. The next wave of applications won’t be held up in purgatory, they’ll be judged on merit, not mystery. Expect lamb. Expect beef. Expect hybrids. And yes, expect a lot of noise from incumbents too. Because this decision isn’t just about food, it’s about food politics, sovereignty, supply chains, and the existential question of how we feed ten billion humans without cooking the planet.

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