FDA certifies lab-grown chicken meat safe to eat

Lab-grown chicken passed the first hurdle needed to bring the product to US dinner tables and supermarkets.

The US Food and Drug Administration has for the first time given the certification to meat grown from cells. The FDA indicated that the cultivated chicken product by Californian startup Upside Foods is safe to eat.

The regulator said advancements in cell culture technology were enabling food developers to use animal cells obtained from poultry, livestock, and seafood in the production of food, with these products expected to be ready for the US market shortly. The FDA added that it’s ready to work with additional companies developing lab-grown meat to ensure their products are lawful and safe.

It’s already possible to purchase some types of cultured meat in the world. In 2020, Singapore became the first country to approve the sale of lab-grown meat— a chicken nugget product manufactured by Eat Just Inc.

Adapting the technology and getting the cost to a reasonable level is a key hurdle in turning cell-based meat into a mass-consumer product. Nevertheless, many startups including Singapore’s Shiok Meats and Israel’s Aleph Farms are trying to get their products to market soon, as customers seek out alternative proteins due in part to environmental and health concerns.