The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) gave the green light to two companies promising more sustainable meat production.
The news: USDA approved the sale of cell-cultured chicken made by GOOD Meat—approved in Singapore since 2020—and Upside Foods after the companies passed USDA site inspections.
What is cultivated meat? As Upside Foods explains, cells from one animal are harvested to create a “cell bank” that can produce meat for several years. These are cultivated in a vessel providing an appropriate environment for growth.
Safe and savory: Cultivated meat was deemed safe for human consumption by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)—and tastes like conventional meat, according to Reuters.
What’s the benefit? Sustainability. One study showed that cultivated meats made with renewable energy could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 92% and land use by 90%. The production also uses less water.
What’s the catch? Right now, cost. A 2020 report found cultured meat production exceeds a competitive price of $25/kilo. But technology and scaling, which can happen now with this announcement, are bringing prices down. The first cultured burger cost $330,000 a decade ago and now could cost less than $20, Bon Appétit reports.
What they’re saying: “Today’s approval demonstrates that the United States is a global leader in the promising alternative protein space while also continuing to support family farmers’ efforts to feed the world through conventional food and agriculture techniques,” said Dan Glickman, a GOOD Meat Advisory Board member and former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture.
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