In a groundbreaking decision, the U.S. Agriculture Department has granted approval for the commercialization of chicken made from animal cells, Your Content has learned.
This move allows two California-based companies, Upside Foods and Good Meat, to introduce “cultured” or “cell-cultivated” meat to restaurants and potentially supermarket shelves across the nation.
The approval marks a significant milestone in the quest to revolutionize meat production, aiming to eliminate animal harm and greatly reduce the environmental impact associated with traditional livestock farming, including land use, water consumption, and animal waste.
Josh Tetrick, co-founder and CEO of Eat Just, the parent company of Good Meat, expressed enthusiasm for the new era of meat production, highlighting the potential to produce meat sustainably without relying on conventional animal agriculture.
Upside Foods and Good Meat have obtained the necessary federal inspections to sell meat and poultry in the United States, following the safety clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted earlier this year.
Joinn Biologics, a manufacturing company working with Good Meat, has also received authorization to produce these innovative products.
Cultivated meat is grown in controlled environments, utilizing cells derived from living animals, fertilized eggs, or specialized cell banks.
Upside Foods produces large sheets of cell-cultivated chicken that are then shaped into cutlets and sausages, while Good Meat, already selling cultivated meat in Singapore, offers a range of products including cutlets, nuggets, shredded meat, and satays.
Although these products will not be immediately available in U.S. grocery stores due to cost constraints and limited production scale, Upside and Good Meat have plans to introduce their lab-grown meat first in exclusive restaurants.
Upside has partnered with San Francisco’s Bar Crenn, while Good Meat products will be served at a restaurant in Washington, D.C., owned by renowned chef Jose Andrés.
It is worth noting that these cell-cultivated meats are not substitutes like the Impossible Burger or Beyond Meat products, which are plant-based.
Over 150 companies worldwide are currently focused on developing cell-based meat alternatives, encompassing not only chicken but also pork, lamb, fish, and beef, as scientists recognize the significant environmental impact of traditional livestock farming, particularly beef production.
Upside, headquartered in Berkeley, operates a state-of-the-art facility in Emeryville, spanning 70,000 square feet.
Good Meat, based in Alameda, boasts a 100,000-square-foot plant. During demonstrations, chefs from both companies prepared dishes using their lab-grown chicken, with taste and appearance resembling conventionally farmed poultry.
Despite initial skepticism and concerns surrounding the consumption of cell-cultivated meat, Amy Chen, Upside’s Chief Operating Officer, stated that consumers become more accepting and enthusiastic once they understand the production process and experience the taste firsthand.
Upside emphasizes selecting cells that promise excellent taste and efficient reproduction, while Good Meat relies on a master cell bank developed from a commercially available chicken cell line.
Both companies acknowledge that production will be limited initially.
Upside’s Emeryville facility has the capacity to produce up to 50,000 pounds of cultivated meat annually, with plans to expand to 400,000 pounds per year.
Good Meat has not disclosed its production goals. By comparison, the United States currently produces approximately 50 billion pounds of chicken each year.
The widespread availability of these lab-grown meat products may take several years, including a period of time for wider adoption in restaurants before entering the mainstream market.
Sebastian Bohn, a specialist in cell-based foods at CRB, a Missouri-based firm specializing in facility design and construction for pharmaceutical, biotech, and food companies, predicts a timeframe of seven, according to AP News.