The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) granted label approval to cultivated chicken from UPSIDE Foods, bringing the company one step closer to commercial production in the U.S.
"The USDA's approval of our label marks a major step forward towards our goal of creating a more humane and sustainable food system," said Dr. Uma Valeti, CEO and founder of UPSIDE Foods.
The approval shows that UPSIDE Foods demonstrated full compliance with the pre-market requirements for labeling and means that the company’s cultivated chicken packing will be eligible to include the USDA mark of inspection.
UPSIDE Foods is currently working with the USDA to obtain a Grant of Inspection (GOI) for its Engineering, Production and Innovation Center (EPIC). This is the last step in the pre-market regulatory process.
"We're excited to continue working with the USDA to achieve our next milestone: a Grant of Inspection (GOI) for our facility. Obtaining the USDA's GOI will clear the way for commercial production and sales and allow us to bring our delicious UPSIDE chicken to consumers for the first time,” Valeti added.
UPSIDE Foods is backed by several traditional animal protein companies, including Tyson Foods and Cargill.
Cultivated meat gets closer to U.S. regulatory approval
UPSIDE Foods made history in December 2022 when it obtained the first preliminary approval for cultivated meat from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
A second cultivated meat manufacturer, Good Meat, a subsidiary of Eat Just, also received preliminary approval in March 2023. In a statement e-mailed to WATTPoultry, Good Meat confirmed that it received USDA label approval on June 8 and is currently working to obtain a GOI to achieve full regulatory approval.
In the U.S., cultivated meat production is overseen by both the FDA and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The FDA is responsible for the oversight of the growth and collection of cultured cells, while the USDA oversees the processing of any cells into meat and the labeling of any products.
Singapore is currently the only country to grant full regulatory approval for cultivated meat products.
