In a historic milestone, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced approval of the sale of lab-grown meat, which gives consumers the opportunity to enjoy this innovation. Two startups good meat – a subsidiary of Eat Just – and top foodwere the first to receive authorization.

Cultured meat, also known as lab-grown meat, cell-grown meat, or bioreactor-grown meat, is made from stem cells taken from animal fat or muscle. These cells are grown in a special environment that nourishes them and allows them to grow. The culture medium is then transferred to a bioreactor where the cells grow, resulting in a final product with a texture, appearance and taste similar to regular meat.

Proponents of cultured meat point out that it is healthier and more environmentally sustainable than conventional meat. So far, only Singapore has allowed the sale of lab-grown meat outside the US.

Both Good Meat and Upside Foods have previously received US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval, which confirmed the safety of lab-grown chicken produced by both companies for human consumption.

Under the USDA decision, cultured meat production facilities will be inspected to the same standard that applies to meat processing plants and conventional slaughterhouses. Meat produced by startups Good Meat and Upside Foods will be labeled “lab chicken” when it reaches the consumer.

It is worth noting that Good Meat has already received approval to sell its lab-grown meat in Singapore, where it has been available since December 2020.

Companies celebrate approval and prepare for new investments

Josh Tetrick, CEO and co-founder of Eat Just, expressed the importance of this achievement: “The announcement that we can now produce and sell US-raised beef is a major milestone for our company, industry and food system.“.

In addition to Good Meat, its manufacturing partner, Joinn Biologics, has also received USDA approval for lab-grown meat.

Famous chefs have also shown interest in this new way of eating. Chef Jose Andrés has placed the first order of lab-grown Good Meat beef to be served at an undisclosed restaurant in Washington, DC. Similarly, chef Dominic Crenn will offer limited-edition Upside Foods chicken at Crenn’s Bar in San Francisco.

Although lab-grown meat start-ups have received significant funding and regulatory approval, they still face challenges before their products become widely accepted. Solutions for large-scale production still need to be found, such as the development of larger bioreactors. In addition, the cost of the culture media used in the process keeps the end product prices high.

These companies will also need to convince consumers that lab-grown meat is a viable option for farm-raised meat.

Despite these obstacles, hopes for the sector are high. According to consulting firm McKinsey, lab-grown meat could account for up to 0.5% of the world’s meat supply by 2030, equivalent to billions of pounds and $25 billion in sales. The future of the meat industry is changing due to technological advances and the drive towards more sustainable food production.

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Source: New York Times.

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