Lab-Grown Meat Gets Usda’s Green Light for Sale in the U.S.

The United States is one step closer to commercializing cultivated meat with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s approval of two lab-grown meat companies. 

Both UPSIDE Foods (founded as Memphis Meats in 2016) and Eat Just were issued grants of inspection as part of the final step in the USDA’s approval process. The companies are based in California and plan to debut lab-grown (cell-cultivated) poultry at two California and Washington, D.C. restaurants. 

Eat Just received approval to sell their products in Singapore in 2020, but the two companies are the first to be approved in the U.S. by both the Food and Drug Administration and the USDA. 

“The world is experiencing a food revolution and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is committed to supporting innovation in the food supply,” wrote Robert Califf, FDA’s commissioner of food and drugs in November following passing UPSIDE Foods pre-market consultation.

According to press releases, the cultivated products sold by both companies will be subject to the same USDA regulations for food safety and labeling as other poultry products as they are grown from poultry cells. 

Last year, UPSIDE opened up a facility in the San Francisco Bay Area that is capable of producing over 400,000 pounds of its products each year. 

“I’m thrilled to share that cultivated meat will now be available for consumers in the U.S.,” said Dr. Uma Valeti, CEO and Founder of UPSIDE Foods. “This approval will fundamentally change how meat makes it to our table. It’s a giant step forward towards a more sustainable future — one that preserves choice and life. We are excited to launch with our signature, whole-textured UPSIDE chicken and can’t wait for consumers to taste the future.”

UPSIDE will be launching their cultivated chicken at restaurant partners starting with Chef Dominique Crenn’s restaurant Bar Crenn in San Francisco. Meanwhile, Eat Just plans to serve its lab-grown products at José Andrés in D.C.