The USDA has pronounced GOOD Meat’s chicken safe to consume, in what is being seen as a watershed event for the cultured food sector.1 The news comes after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a “no questions” letter in March.2 Upside Foods, a competitor firm, has also been granted permission to market its chicken goods to US customers.3
Cultured meat, also known as cell-based or lab-grown meat, feeds cells with stem cells derived from animal fat or muscle tissue, enabling them to proliferate. It is then cultivated in bioreactors to the appropriate density before being separated in a centrifuge.4
GOOD Meat and Eat CEO Josh Tetrick The USDA announcement was described as a “major moment for our company, the industry, and the food system.”
Why is lab-grown meat gaining popularity?
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, livestock accounts for almost 14.5% of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions worldwide, with beef production accounting for nearly 41% of that. One kilogram of beef produces the equivalent of 300 kilos of CO2. Chicken meat and eggs account for around 8% of greenhouse gas emissions.