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In a groundbreaking decision, U.S. regulators have approved the sale of chicken produced from animal cells, and the introduction of "cultured" meat by California-based Upside Foods and Good Meat has paved the way for it to enter the U.S. market. This milestone marks a new era in meat production, aiming to eliminate harm to animals and significantly reduce the environmental impact of traditional animal husbandry.
The USDA approval subjects Upside Foods and Good Meat to the federal inspections required to sell meat and poultry products domestically. Prior to this, the two companies had received endorsement from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration confirming the safety of their cell-cultured meat products. In addition, Joinn Biologics, a manufacturing company that works with Good Meat, has also received approval to produce these innovative foods.
"Normally, anything new, whether it's an electric car or a ChatGPT, feels a little weird at first, a little bit unique, but after a while, it becomes ubiquitous, and that's ultimately the path forward for cultured meat," said Josh Tetrick, co-founder and CEO of Good Meat operator Eat Just.
Cultured meat is grown in a controlled environment, such as steel cans, using cells from live animals, fertilized eggs, or specialized cell banks. Upside Foods produces cultured chicken that is highly malleable and can be made into a variety of forms, including chicken nuggets and sausages. Good Meat has launched cultured meat products in Singapore, the first country to allow the sale of such products, where they convert chicken cells into food products such as chops, nuggets, strips and satay. However, it is important to note that cultured chicken is currently more expensive than conventionally cultured meat and cannot be produced on the same scale.
To promote their innovative products, the two companies plan to initially offer their products exclusively in specific restaurants. Upside Foods has partnered with Bar Crenn in San Francisco, while Good Meat will offer their dishes at a restaurant run by chef Jose Andres in Washington, D.C.
It's worth emphasizing that Upside Foods and Good Meat develop products that are real meat, not popular plant-based alternatives like Impossible Burger or Beyond Meat. More than 150 companies worldwide focus on culturing meat from animal cells, including not only chicken, but also pork, lamb, fish and beef. Scientists believe that beef production has the greatest environmental impact, which makes it a key area for this emerging industry.
After tasting the chicken breast, people noticed that its color is slightly lighter than that of traditional chicken. However, in terms of texture, smell, and taste, it is similar to fried chicken and has received positive feedback from consumers. Upside's COO Amy Chen shared that the most common feedback they receive is "well, it tastes like chicken."
With this approval, the entry of cultured chicken into the U.S. market is an important step towards sustainable and ethical meat production. As more companies join the development of cultured meat alternatives, the future holds promise and will revolutionize the way we treat and consume meat.
However, both Upside Foods and Good Meat acknowledge that their initial production capacity is limited. It may take several years for consumers to see these cultured meat products in more restaurants, and it can take seven to ten years for them to launch in the broader market. Another important challenge factor is the cost of these products. Representatives from both companies would not disclose the price of individual chickens, but they mentioned that costs have been significantly reduced since the company began offering product demos. Eventually, the price is expected to match high-end organic chicken, potentially reaching a selling price of $20 per pound.