Lab-grown meat approved for sale in the US

The sale of lab-grown chicken has been approved by the US Agriculture Department.

Two companies – Upside Foods and Good Meat – have now been given permission by the federal government to sell chicken made from cultivated cells.

After years of research and rigorous testing, cell-cultivated chicken meat will officially be a part of the U.S. food system. @devindwyer has more on the lab-grown chicken that got the green light from the USDA. https://t.co/m3UD2D7nrj pic.twitter.com/KoxanJYWoN

— Good Morning America (@GMA) June 22, 2023

This makes the US the second country in the world, after Singapore, to permit the sale of lab-grown meat.

The move has been hailed as a breakthrough by the industry and is also being celebrated by animal activists and those concerned about the impact of the meat industry on the environment.

Josh Tetrick, chief executive of Good Meat, branded his product’s approval a “major moment for our company, the industry and the food system”.

The cultivated meat brand has been selling at butchers, restaurants and food stalls in Singapore for the last three years.

Uma Valeti, the CEO and founder of Upside Foods, also expressed delight at the news, branding it a “dream come true,” and adding that it “marks a new era.”

“This approval will fundamentally change how meat makes it to our table,” Valeti said in a statement. “It’s a giant step forward towards a more sustainable future — one that preserves choice and life.”

Valeti explained that customers will soon be able to sink their teeth into their signature whole-textured Upside Chicken which he promises will be like “tasting the future”.

These new products are not classified as vegetarian, as it is meat that has been grown in an environment similar to the pharmaceutical industry, as opposed to how food is traditionally produced.

To create lab-grown meat, cells are taken from the animals such as cows and chickens via scraping and are then turned into large portions of meat in bioreactors.

The move has been met with a largely positive reaction, as people flooded Upside Food and Good Meat with messages of support following the game-changing announcement.

One person penned: “I’m ready to see the end of animal agriculture!!! My personal and work life both revolve heavily around creating a better future for animals and the environment, so I’m thankful for what you guys are doing!”

A second wrote: “Looking forward to a future of cruelty free pet food!”

However, the move was bound to be controversial, and not everyone was so convinced.

“No way, it better be labeled as such so I know what NOT purchase/consume by mistake! Because I will NOT willingly purchase this cr*p!,” said one person.

Whilst another wrote: “What new fresh hell is this?”

Despite any hesitancy, there’s no denying this is a big step for cultivated meat in the US.

Upside’s chicken will be launched at Bar Crenn in San Francisco while Good Meat’s products will be sold in a currently unnamed Washington DC restaurant.

It looks like the future of food has finally arrived!

Featured image credit: D-Keine/BSIP/Universal Images Group/Getty