Upside Foods has received clearance from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to start selling real meat grown directly from animal cells.
This innovative approach eliminates the need for traditional animal slaughter while providing a sustainable solution to meet the growing global demand for meat.
What Makes Upside Foods Different
Upside Foods, founded by Dr. Uma Valeti, has pioneered a method to "grow" meat using animal cells.
Unlike plant-based alternatives such as Beyond Meat or Impossible, Upside Foods' meat is not derived from vegetable proteins. The meat is cultivated in tanks at their production center in Emeryville, California.
As CBSNews reports, the process begins by extracting animal cells from either eggs or live chickens. These cells are frozen in tiny vials, and high-quality cells are selected for further development.
The selected cells are then provided with necessary nutrients such as amino acids, fats, and vitamins in a cultivator. In about ten days, these cells multiply and transform into fully developed meat ready to be cooked.
Upside Foods got USDA approval but is not in stores yet. However, their meat is now served at Bar Crenn, a Michelin-starred restaurant in San Francisco, a big step for cultivated meat.
Sustainability and Environmental Impact
The traditional livestock industry contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions, with estimates suggesting that livestock is responsible for one-third of all human-caused methane emissions.
Upside Foods' cultivated meat offers a potential solution to reduce these emissions. By eliminating the need for large-scale animal farming, the environmental impact of meat production can be drastically reduced.
Cultivated meat requires a fraction of the land and water compared to conventional meat production, and it does not require the use of antibiotics.
In fact, studies suggest that lab-grown meat could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 96% and use 82-96% less water compared to traditional meat production methods.
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Cultivated Meat Market Potential
The concept of cultivated meat has garnered widespread interest and acceptance among consumers.
A survey conducted in the United States and the United Kingdom revealed that approximately 80% of people are willing to try lab-grown meat, with younger generations showing higher openness to the idea.
The main concerns raised by those hesitant to try lab-grown meat revolve around its perceived unnaturalness, safety concerns, and finding the idea of lab-grown meat disgusting.
However, these concerns are being addressed as more research and development is carried out.
Upside Foods is not the only player in the cultivated meat market. There are over 30 companies globally racing to develop commercially viable lab-grown meat products.
The industry is projected to grow from a value of approximately $130 million in 2021 to around $500 million by 2030. Major meat companies, such as Tyson and Cargill, have also recognized this technology's potential and invested in cultivated meat start-ups.
Regulatory Oversight on Cultivated Meat
The regulatory oversight of cultivated meat involves both the FDA and USDA.
As UpsideFoods explains, the FDA evaluates the safety of the cultivated cells "pre-harvest," ensuring that the food made with Upside's cultivated chicken is as safe as other comparable foods.
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