U.S. regulators have authorized the sale of chicken made from animal cells, marking a significant step toward introducing "lab-grown" meat to restaurants and potentially supermarkets nationwide. The Agriculture Department has given the green light to Upside Foods and Good Meat, allowing them to offer "cell-cultivated" or "cultured" meat that eliminates the need for animal slaughter.
Upside Foods and Good Meat have received the necessary approvals for federal inspections, while Joinn Biologics, a manufacturing company working with Good Meat, has also been cleared to produce these controversial products.
Cultivated meat is grown in controlled environments using cells derived from living animals, fertilized eggs, or specialized cell banks. Upside Foods produces large sheets of meat that are formed into various shapes, such as chicken cutlets and sausages. Good Meat, which has already introduced cultured meat in Singapore, turns chicken cells into products like cutlets, nuggets, shredded meat, and satays.
The initial launch of these products will be in exclusive restaurants. Upside Foods has partnered with a San Francisco establishment called Bar Crenn, while Good Meat's dishes will be available at a restaurant in Washington, D.C.
It's important to note that these products are real meat, not substitutes like the Impossible Burger or Beyond Meat, which rely on plant proteins and other ingredients.
Upside Foods, based in Berkeley, operates a state-of-the-art facility in Emeryville, while Good Meat, based in Alameda, runs a large-scale plant. During tastings, the cultivated meat products closely resembled conventionally produced meat in terms of appearance, taste, and smell.
It may take a few years before these products become more widely available, and cost remains a challenge.
Source : kansasagconnection