From Lab to Table: Cultivated Chicken Meat Approved for US Sale

US regulators have granted approval for the sale of lab-grown chicken made from animal cells, marking a significant milestone for the emerging cultured meat industry. 

Upside Foods and Good Meat, two California-based companies, are now authorized to offer “cell-cultivated” or “cultured” meat to restaurants and, eventually, supermarket shelves, the Associated Press reports. The decision by the Agriculture Department ushers in a new era of meat production that aims to reduce harm to animals and mitigate the environmental impact of traditional livestock farming practices.

Cultivated meat is produced by growing animal cells in steel tanks — these cells come from a living animal, a fertilized egg or a special bank of stored cells. 

Upside Foods produces large sheets of chicken meat, which are then formed into shapes like cutlets and sausages. Good Meat, which has already introduced cultivated meat products in Singapore where it was first approved, offers their lab-grown chicken in the form of cutlets, nuggets, shredded meat, and satays. 

Where will it be available?

The companies plan to initially serve their lab-grown meat in exclusive restaurants. Upside has partnered with Bar Crenn in San Francisco, while Good Meat has partnered with chef Jose Andrés’ Washington, DC restaurant.

Mass-market availability of lab-grown meat may take several years — it’s still much more expensive to grow chicken meat in the labs than to farm them and the scale of production is still far from the current level of traditionally-produced meat.

Upside Foods’ facility in Emeryville can produce up to 50,000 pounds of cultivated meat products per year, with plans to expand to 400,000 pounds per year, while Good Meat did not provide production estimates. For reference, the US produces around 50 billion pounds of chicken per year.

How do you like your chicken?

Cost will be a crucial factor in determining consumer acceptance. Upside and Good Meat anticipate that the price of their products will eventually align with high-end organic chicken.

And then there’s what Upside CEO Amy Chen calls the ‘ick’ factor — the feeling some consumers get when they think about eating chicken grown from cells in the lab.

While some express skepticism, polls indicate that understanding the process and experiencing the taste of the product can change consumer perceptions. Advocates argue that cultured meat is less likely to be contaminated and reduces exposure to antibiotics compared to traditional meat production.

Both Upside Foods and Good Meat emphasize that their products are real meat, not substitutes like the plant-based offerings from companies such as Beyond Meat (Nasdaq: BYND) and Impossible Foods. The approval from regulators followed the US Food and Drug Administration’s assessment that the products are safe for consumption. 

The emerging landscape for lab-grown meat

Upside Foods and Good Meat are just two companies finding alternative ways to cultivate meat without the environmental impact and the animal welfare concerns associated with traditional livestock farming. 

Finless Foods, also based in California, is working on growing fish without actually having to put them in water. Dutch company Mosa Meat is developing a meat substitute from animal cells, they want to create “an identical copy of animal meat (‘meat 2.0’) with all the sensory characteristics of conventional meat.” Aleph Farms, through cutting-edge bioengineering technologies, is creating a unique process that allows them to “3D-print steaks” through combining 3D bioprinting technology and stem cell science.

Information for this story was found via the Associated Press, and the sources and companies mentioned. The author has no securities or affiliations related to the organizations discussed. Not a recommendation to buy or sell. Always do additional research and consult a professional before purchasing a security. The author holds no licenses.

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