“This is a watershed moment in the history of food,” Uma Valeti, CEO and founder of Upside Foods,. “This milestone marks a major step towards a new era in meat production, and I’m thrilled that U.S. consumers will soon have the chance to eat delicious meat that’s grown directly from animal cells.”
In order to sell its products to the public, however, Upside Foods still needs to receive approval from both the FDA and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service. The company said it is now working to secure the remaining regulatory approvals before its launch. The industry for cultivated meats and meat alternatives has seen explosive growth in recent years, particularly as new companies look to create more sustainable and climate-friendly ways to produce food.
Cultivated meats are "grown" from extracted cells from an animal — typically through a biopsy, from a cell bank, or from a fresh piece of meat that was already slaughtered as part of the food system. The cells are fed a mixture of nutrients — such as amino acids, sugars, trace minerals and vitamins — causing them to multiply and turn into the finished meat products.
. “Human food made with cultured animal cells must meet the same stringent requirements, including safety requirements, as all other food.”