Lab-Grown Meat Receives First-Ever U.S. Approval to Hit the Market

Hold on to your cutleries, as the future of meat is about to take a giant leap. Lab-grown meat, also known as cultivated meat, has just received approval for sale in the US.

Imagine biting into your juicy burger or savoring a slice of tender chicken meat without guilt about environmental effects and animal welfare. Cultivated meat is the answer.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently gave their green light to Good Meat and Upside Foods. They are the two pioneering firms in the field of producing cell-based proteins.

This significant milestone opens the doors to a more ethical and sustainable approach to eating meat. In addition, it also addresses climate change issues and reduces the effects of traditional animal agriculture.

Two California companies have been given the green light by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to sell lab-grown chicken at restaurants and supermarkets in the U.S.

Upside Foods and Good Meat ‘cultivate’ the chicken in labs using animal cells instead of the traditional method of… pic.twitter.com/i3rz1fGkQ5

— NowThis Impact (@nowthisimpact) June 21, 2023

What is Lab-Grown Meat?

Lab-Grown or cultivated meat is a new concept of growing real meat using animal cells. The whole process will take place in a laboratory.

In this innovation, the companies will use the cells of a living animal, a fertilized egg, or a special bank of stored cells. Then these cells will be cultivated in steel tanks to give a controllable and sterile environment as they grow.

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The cultivation process starts by separating the cells from the source. They will place it in a nutrient-rich medium that will help them grow and multiply.

Over time, these cells will develop, forming muscle tissues that closely replicate traditional meat’s taste, composition, and texture.

For instance, Upside Foods produces cultivated meat in large sheets. Then they cut them into shapes like sausages and chicken cutlets.

US approves chicken made from cultivated cells, the nation’s first ‘lab-grown’ meat – Here is how they do it. pic.twitter.com/zZIxg8Imxb

— AlphaFo𝕏 (@Alphafox78) June 21, 2023

Moreover, Good Meat was already set up in Singapore. The country was also the first to approve cultivated meat. They already use chicken cells to create different products like nuggets, cutlets, satays, and shredded meat.

US Approval Signals Major Shift

This breakthrough follows past regulatory authorizations that have cleared the way to sell lab-grown meat in the United States.

Good Meat was quick to move and announced the immediate start of production. The company behind the plant-based egg substitute Eat Just owns Good Meat.

The cultivated product they market as “meat without slaughter” provides a more ethical replacement for consumers worried about animal safety.

The business is successfully selling its cultivated products in Singapore. In addition, they are also now working to collaborate with restaurants, including partnerships with restaurateur and chef Jose Andres for a Washington, DC enterprise.

Furthermore, Upside Foods also plans to recommend its lab-grown meat at Bar Crenn. It is a prominent restaurant in San Francisco.

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 strategic action aims to assess the customers’ reactions and collect valuable feedback from diners and chefs. Upside Foods seeks to partner with more restaurants as production increases, eventually making their meat available in supermarkets.

The Promise of Lab-Grown Meat and its Environmental Impact

The rise of lab-grown meat comes with the promise of lowering the harmful effects of traditional animal farming. Lab-grown meat can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, water usage, and deforestation rates.

Thus, this is a compelling solution to fight climate change and promote sustainable alternatives. Cultivated meat reduces methane production from livestock by avoiding the need for huge-scale animal farming.

In addition, it also reduces land demands for feed crop cultivation and grazing. Also, the laboratory environment is a more efficient way of resource usage.

It will reduce water consumption and remove the animals’ reliability to antibiotics and hormones. These are the standard processes that traditional animal farming use.

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According to AP News, supporters of this food innovation believe that this technological progress could transform the international food system. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the USDA have supervised lab-grown meat production.

Both agencies aim to create a balance between sustainability and food safety. This way, they can ensure that cultivated meat meets proper standards before reaching your tables.

Overall, this approval of lab-grown meat in the US marks an essential milestone toward more ethical and sustainable food production.

Good Meat and Upside Foods are the front runners of this technological advancement. They aim to offer consumers an environmentally-conscious and humane replacement to traditionally produced meat.

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