US Approves Chicken Made From Cultivated Cells ‘Lab Grown Meat’ For Sale

USDA Approves Lab Grown Meat For Sale Across All Of United States

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has approved the sale of cell-cultured chicken in a landmark decision that clears the path for consumers to try it out themselves, the two startups that received the first approvals said Wednesday.

Cultured meat, also known as cultivated, cell-based or lab-grown protein, is made by putting stem cells from the fat or muscle of an animal into a culture medium that feeds the cells, allowing them to grow.

The medium is then put into a bioreactor to support the cells’ growth, creating an end product that looks and tastes like traditional meat. Proponents of cultured meat say it’s healthier and more environmentally friendly than traditional meat. Outside the U.S., only Singapore has cleared the sale of cell-cultured meat.

 

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The USDA issued approval to Good Meat, a subsidiary of Eat Just, along with Upside Foods. Both companies had already received the go-ahead months earlier from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which said each company’s lab-grown chicken is safe for human consumption.

As a result of the decision, the USDA will inspect cultured meat facilities, just as it does traditional meat processing plants and slaughterhouses. The meat produced by Upside Foods and Good Meat will be labeled as “cell-cultivated chicken” when sold to consumers.

Good Meat has also received approval to sell its cultured meat in Singapore, where it’s been available to consumers since December 2020. On top of that, startups will have to convince consumers that they want to eat meat grown in a lab rather than on a farm.

But expectations are high for the industry, if it manages to overcome those obstacles. By 2030, McKinsey predicts cultured meat could provide as much as half of 1% of the world’s meat supply, representing billions of pounds and $25 billion in sales.