Cultivated Chicken from GOOD Meat and UPSIDE Foods Receive Full Approval from USDA

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has given the final approval to two companies, UPSIDE Foods and Good Meat to sell lab-grown meat in the country. With these approvals, the US becomes the second country after Singapore to allow the sales of cultivated meat.

UPSIDE Foods' cultivated chicken is made from chicken cells grown in the lab. The company completed the pre-market regulatory review process for its cultivated chicken after receiving the Grant of Inspection (GOI) from USDA. With this approval, UPSIDE Foods can now start commercial production and sales of its cultivated chicken, with its first order from Bar Crenn in San Francisco through a partnership with three-Michelin-star chef Dominique Crenn.

GOOD Meat, the cultivated meat division of food technology company Eat Just, Inc., also received USDA approval for its cultivated chicken made directly from animal cells four months after the company received its “no questions” letter from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The production for the first batch of cultivated chicken has started, which will be sold to restaurateur and humanitarian Chef José Andrés, the owner of José Andrés Group, which operates more than 30 restaurants across the country.

For more details, read the news releases from UPSIDE Foods and GOOD Meat.