U.S. regulators have approved the sales of cell-cultured chicken to customers, the two startups that received the first approvals.
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The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) issued approval to two startups, GOOD Meat and UPSIDE Foods.
Both companies had already received the go-ahead months earlier from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which said each company's lab-grown chicken is safe for human consumption.
"This landmark clearance means the firm's chicken, which is made directly from animal cells, can now be sold to American consumers," GOOD Meat, the cultivated meat division of food technology company Eat Just, said in a statement.
GOOD Meat won multiple regulatory approvals for its chicken in Singapore in 2020 and 2021, and in January 2023 received a key clearance that paves the way for greater scalability, lower manufacturing costs and a more sustainable product.
Since its Singapore launch, the company’s chicken has been featured on menus at fine dining establishments, popular hawker stalls, via the foodpanda delivery platform and most recently by reservation at Huber’s Butchery, one of Singapore’s premier producers and suppliers of high-quality meats.
As part of the USDA’s approval, GOOD Meat received a grant of inspection for its demonstration plant in Alameda, California, as has its contract manufacturing partner, JOINN Biologics.
The comprehensive vetting includes facilities and equipment; standard operating procedure for sanitation; and the systematic approach to identification, evaluation and control of food safety hazards known as HACCP.
In order to be cleared to produce and sell cultivated meat, UPSIDE Foods' team of food scientists, molecular biologists, and technical engineers passed three extensive regulatory steps: "No Questions" Letter from the FDA, USDA Label Approval, and USDA Grant of Inspection, said the company in a statement.
Cultured meat, also known as cultivated, cell-based or lab-grown protein, is made by putting stem cells from an animal in a vessel called a cultivator, and feed them the right blend of nutrients to multiply and grow.
After two to three weeks, the meat is harvested, formulated, and ready to enjoy, according to introduction of UPSIDE Foods.
"Regulation of cultivated meat mirrors that of conventionally-produced meat," UPSIDE Foods said.
"With conventional meat, the FDA oversees the safety of new ingredients used in meat and poultry products and regulates live animals to be used as food up until they are presented for slaughter.
"At the point of slaughter, the USDA takes over jurisdiction to oversee slaughter, meat processing, packaging, and labeling.
"For cultivated meat, the FDA oversees the sourcing, selection, and growth of the cells and all components and inputs used in the production process. USDA takes over when the cells are removed from the sealed cultivators (what we call “harvestingâ€)." ■