Lab-grown meat by Upside Foods gets FDA approval for human consumption

The Food and Drug Administration gave a crucial safety sign-off on Wednesday to a business that has created chicken that is grown in a lab using animal cells.

The California-based company Upside Foods received FDA approval on the security of its animal cell culture technique, which enables the production of meat products without the murder of any live animals. The lab-grown chicken is now considered safe to consume, according to the FDA’s ruling, which is its first for so-called cultivated meats. However, more permits are still required before the items can be sold in the United States.

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In a statement released on Wednesday, the FDA claimed that after inspecting the cultured cell material and processing method used by Upside Foods, it has “no more questions” about their safety. The choice has important ramifications for both the booming cultured meat sector and sustainable food production.

The CEO and founder of Upside Foods, Uma Valeti, said in a statement, “This is a watershed moment in the history of food. This milestone marks a major step towards a new era in meat production, and I’m thrilled that U.S. consumers will soon have the chance to eat delicious meat that’s grown directly from animal cells.”

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However, Upside Foods still needs to receive permission from both the FDA and the Food Safety and Inspection Service of the Agriculture Department before it can sell its products to the general public. It said that it is striving to obtain the last permissions before launching.

The market for cultured meats and meat substitutes has boomed in recent years, especially as new businesses seek to develop more environmentally friendly and sustainable food production methods.

Typically, through a biopsy, from a cell bank, or from a fresh piece of meat that was already murdered as part of the food system, harvested cells from an animal are used to grow the meats that are produced in factories. Amino acids, carbohydrates, trace minerals, and vitamins are supplied to the cells, which then multiply and develop into the completed meat products.

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According to Upside Foods, its cell culture method is intended to be “indefinitely self-renewing,” and therefore the manufacturing procedure won’t require the killing of live animals.

The FDA stated that it is reviewing further food products derived from animal cells in culture.

“Our goal is to support innovation in food technologies while always maintaining as our priority the production of safe food,” the FDA statement read. “Human food made with cultured animal cells must meet the same stringent requirements, including safety requirements, as all other food.”