Insects & Lab-Grown Meat: The Future of Food Safety Compliance | Episode 160

In this episode of Don’t Eat Poop!, our hosts Matt and Francine dig into the rising trend of edible insects and lab-grown meat, and what it means for food safety compliance, foodborne illness prevention, and regulatory frameworks.

From cricket protein powder to 3D-printed steak, this isn’t sci-fi anymore—it’s on your dinner plate. But are regulators ready? Are you ready? And most importantly, what happens when something goes wrong in a sterile lab environment?

Let’s just say: this episode gets crunchy.

In this episode:

💩 [04:04] Insects and lab-grown meat hit the regulatory radar

💩 [07:55] Food safety risks in lab-grown meat

💩 [08:57] How global food safety regulations are evolving for novel foods

💩 [13:05] Facebook Marketplace food sales

💩 [16:11] Would you eat insects? 

💩 [19:15] Consumer trust issues

💩 [22:28] Scaling edible insect protein factories

💩 [23:44] Population myths vs food production realities

Disclaimer: Episode title and content do not constitute legal or health advice.

Resources from this episode

Take a look at the Food Safety News article we’re talking about today: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/03/insects-and-cell-based-food-on-radar-of-food-regulators/

Noteworthy quotes from this episode

“Say this does get to a point at which we figure out how to scale printing meat in a lab and it tastes just like meat, what food safety risks come from that in the future? I guess to be determined.” – Matt Regusci

 I can’t imagine thinking  I’m craving a cicada. I’m craving a chocolate-covered cockroach today.” – Francine L Shaw

Connect with Francine, Matt, and the “Don’t Eat Poop!” show on LinkedIn! 

Check out Francine’s book Who Watches the Kitchen? on Amazon!