The expected revolution has come true: the sale of laboratory-produced meat is approved in the USA

A recent press release by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has reported that it has now approved the manufacture of artificial meat for human consumption. The permission was granted after consultation, product safety testing and research with UPSIDE Foods, formerly Memphis Meats. However, it should be noted that this approval is not exactly an approval to sell the product.

Berkeley, California-based UPSIDE Foods was founded in 2015 and has been working on using cell culture to produce lab-grown chicken meat for some time. Apart from UPSIDE Foods, there are many companies that have taken this approach to meet the market demand for animal meat without cutting it.

How is artificial meat produced?

To produce meat in the laboratory, animal cells are isolated without killing the animals and frozen for long-term storage. These cells are then transferred to steel tanks called bioreactors, and the nutrients and conditions necessary for the growth needed by the cells are provided.

When the cells reach a certain maturity and are shaped, they are harvested for consumption and become normal meat. Unlike plant-based meats that are made from plant ingredients and made to look like real meat, this cultured meat is 100 percent animal-based, ensuring no animals are harmed.

Various initiatives in this area were operating in small-scale facilities to test their products and processes. Such facilities are also an indication to regulatory agencies such as the FDA that requirements such as “safety” and “compliance” are met.

What is required for full approval?

As stated in the FDA’s press release, the product is only approved for UPSIDE Food’s. Therefore, it does not mean comprehensive approval for the production and sale of artificial meat in the laboratory by other companies. However, this move of the FDA provides incentives for other companies to contact the institution.

Of course, only FDA approval is not enough for artificial meat production. Companies must also get approval and audit from other US regulatory agencies. On the other hand, such details do not change the fact that the decision is a turning point. However, there are still years before the meat produced comes to our plates. For now, growing meat in the laboratory is a very costly business. According to UPSIDE Foods CEO Uma Valenti, the reared meat industry is in its infancy and has about 15 more years to become available.