The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) granted regulatory approval to two cultivated chicken companies; GOOD Meat (a subsidiary of Eat JUST) and UPSIDE Foods on June 21, 2023. Time Magazine described the approval of cultivated chicken – chicken grown from stem cells in a bioreactor as “a historic milestone that will irrevocably change the landscape of food.”
The companies underwent a rigorous three-step, two agency, multi-year review process to get their products approved in the U.S. After receiving the green-light to label their products as “cell-cultured chicken,” they later obtained the grant of inspection (GOI) for their California-based production facilities allowing the commercial production and sale of their product across the U.S.
The approval symbols the beginning of a new way for U.S consumers to eat meat. However, both companies will initially serve their product in one restaurant each, partnering with Michelin Star-winning chefs and growing consumer trust before hitting the mass market via supermarkets and restaurants.
According to a Good Food Institute study, cultivated chicken will use 35% to 67% less land than current chicken farms do and reduce nutrient pollution by 70%.