The USDA on Wednesday approved the production and sale of lab-grown meat for the first time, paving the way for two California companies to sell chicken made from animal cells.
It will probably be years before shoppers can buy lab-grown meat in grocery stores. But the government’s decision will eventually allow the sale of lab-grown meat across state lines after passing federal inspections.
The decision is a milestone for cell-cultured meat companies and consumers looking for alternatives to factory farm-raised and slaughtered chickens.
Alternative protein proponents, along with Upside Foods and Good Meat, companies that sought federal approval, have taken the news to the meat industry amid growing concerns about the environmental impact of meat production and processing. and celebrated as vital to the wider food system. animal.
“This approval will fundamentally change the way meat gets to our plates,” Upside Foods CEO and founder Dr. Uma Valeti said in a statement. rice field. “This is a big step towards a more sustainable future, one that protects choices and lives.”
The decision makes the United States the second country in the world, after Singapore, to authorize the production and sale of lab-grown meat. Bruce Friedrich, president of the Good Food Institute, a nonprofit focused on cellular and plant-based meats, said the U.S. approval was an important step for the industry. We are certainly looking at the approval system,” he added. And now many governments will follow suit. “
Proponents of cultured meat argue that the product offers better outcomes for the environment, food safety and animal welfare. But skeptics are wary of scientific and safety risks, stating: Claimed environmental benefits not proven.the trouble is not over yet How to increase products for mass consumption.
About 100 companies around the world, including dozens in the United States, are focused on producing cultured meat, Friedrich said. In 2022, the industry was valued at approximately $247 million. According to market research firm Grandview Researchand could grow to $25 billion by 2030, the consulting firm says. Predicted by McKinsey & Company.
Lab-grown meat begins with cells taken from an animal. These cells are supplied with nutrients such as water, salt, amino acids, vitamins and minerals. The cells are then grown in large tanks called incubators or bioreactors. The harvested product is basically minced meat, which is then shaped into patties, sausages or fillets. Meat does not contain bones, feathers, beaks or hooves, so it does not need to be slaughtered.
Upside Foods and Good Meat declined to elaborate on their current production capacity. Dr. Valeti said last year: The company will eventually grow into a “tens of millions of pounds product”, he said.
When compared to chicken feed, 300 million tonnes of meat are consumed worldwide — This number is expected to increase further in the future.
The companies will begin selling chicken to U.S. consumers through partner restaurants, Upside Foods at Bar Crane in San Francisco and Good Meat, a private location run by chef Jose Andrés in Washington. Spokespeople for both companies said the model would allow for both consumer education and feedback.
After initial trials, both companies expect to scale up production and expand to other types of meat as well. (Beef has a higher fat content and a more complex flavor, making it difficult to replicate.)
Still, the regulatory framework surrounding lab-grown meat and consumer attitudes toward the product remain questionable.
Many livestock farmers and farming groups have criticized calling lab-grown varieties “meat” and are lobbying lawmakers to stick to the term.The Food Safety and Inspection Service, the USDA agency tasked with inspecting the condition of processing facilities, still Draft Regulations Regarding labeling methods for foods derived from animal cells. For now, the two California companies will refer to their products as “cell-cultured chicken,” a label approved last week by authorities.
Semantic and consumer disputes aside, Friedrich warned that when cultured meat products finally hit grocery store shelves, they will be more expensive than traditional sausages and patties. Just as renewable energy was initially more expensive than oil and gas.
Still, he is confident that cultured meat will sell.
