The Food and Drug Administration gave a crucial safety OK 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 eat, according to the FDA’s decision, which is it’s first for so-called cultivated meats. However, more approvals are still required before the products can be sold in the United States.
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 concerns” 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, stated in a statement that “this is a watershed event in the history of food.” “These significant development ushers in a new era in meat production, and I’m delighted that Americans will soon be able to enjoy delectable meat that is produced entirely from animal cells.”
However, Upside Foods still needs to receive permission from 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 “create” 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.
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.
The agency stated in a statement that “our goal is to foster innovation in food technologies while always retaining as our priority the production of safe food.” “Human food generated from animal cells in culture must adhere to the same rigid standards, including safety standards, as all other food.”
