Cultivated chicken approved for US plates

Two companies, Upside Foods and Good Meat, have received approval by US regulators to sell cultivated meat, which is derived from a sample of livestock cells that are fed and grown in steel vats. Because cultivated meat is made from real animal cells, the product is subject to similar standards as other meat and poultry products in the US.

Upside’s cultivated chicken will be launched at a restaurant in San Francisco after obtaining a Grant of Inspection (GOI) from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). This follows its announcement earlier this month that its label has been approved by USDA. With this approval, the company can now start commercial production and sales of its cultivated chicken.

In November 2022, Upside received the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)’s green light for cultivated meat. The GOI and label approval from USDA mean that the food company has demonstrated compliance with USDA regulations for food safety and labelling of poultry products. Since cultivated chicken is grown directly from real chicken cells, the company is subject to similar rigorous inspections and food safety standards as conventionally produced poultry.

Dr Uma Valeti, CEO and Founder of Upside Foods, said: “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.”

The company will now continue its work with FDA and USDA to bring its next consumer products to market, including sausages, nuggets and dumplings.

Good Meat also received the final approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for its first poultry product, cultivated chicken. The clearance means the firm’s chicken, which is made directly from animal cells, can now be sold to US consumers and will also be launched at a restaurant in the US.

Earlier this year in Australia, Vow Group made an application to Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) to seek approval for its cultured quail.

This US approval could potentially encourage other product approvals in the US and other countries such as Australia, after Singapore led the way with cultivated meat approvals back in 2020.

Image credit: iStock.com/Firn