This week The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gave the green light for the next frontier in alternative protein. For the first time ever, humans will be legally allowed to consume lab grown meat product from animal cells. 

Following a final inspection by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), UPSIDE Foods will be able to enter the market place with its cell-cultured chicken. According to a FDA press release, “advancements in cell culture technology are enabling food developers to use animal cells obtained from livestock, poultry, and seafood in the production of food, with these products expected to be ready for the U.S. market in the near future. The FDA’s goal is to support innovation in food technologies while always maintaining as our first priority the safety of the foods available to U.S. consumers.”

With an estimated world population of 10 billion by the year 2050, UPSIDE Foods was inspired by the idea of separating the animal from the process of meat making. Simply put, that means ending the mass killing of animals while sustaining the mass availability of meat. 

“So what does getting a ‘No Questions Letter’ mean, exactly? It means that the FDA accepts our safety conclusion and UPSIDE’s cultivated chicken will be available following USDA inspection and label approval. It’s an important step on the road to bringing cultivated chicken to the market in the U.S., and gets UPSIDE closer to being on tables everywhere,” said Uma Valeti, M.D., CEO and Founder of UPSIDE Foods.

So while you won’t see lab grown meat on your local grocery store shelves anytime soon, you can certainly learn more by checking out Meat The Future, “a character driven, deep dive into the game changing world of “cultivated” meat” documentary narrated by Jane Goodall and executive produced by Moby.

Stay up to date with developments by visiting UPSIDE Foods' website.