A leading USA cultivated meat, poultry and seafood company, UPSIDE Foods, announced that it had completed the pre-market regulatory review process for its cultivated chicken after obtaining a Grant of Inspection (GOI) from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA).
This follows its announcement earlier this month that USDA has approved its label. With this approval, UPSIDE Foods can start commercial production and sales of its cultivated chicken, taking a historic step towards building a more humane, sustainable, and resilient food system.
In November 2022, UPSIDE Foods became the first company in the world to receive the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 's green light for cultivated meat. The GOI and label approval from USDA means that UPSIDE Foods has demonstrated compliance with USDA regulations for food safety and labelling of poultry products.
Since cultivated chicken is grown directly from actual chicken cells, the company is subject to similar rigorous inspections and food safety standards as conventionally-produced poultry. Having obtained full regulatory clearance in the US for its cultivated chicken, UPSIDE Foods can now begin commercial production at its Engineering, Production, and Innovation Center (EPIC). UPSIDE will make its market debut with a whole-textured chicken product that is over 99 percent cultivated chicken cells.
"I'm thrilled to share that cultivated meat will now be available for consumers in the US," said Dr Uma Valeti, CEO and Founder of UPSIDE Foods.
"This approval will fundamentally change how meat makes it to our table. It's a giant step towards a more sustainable future that preserves choice and life. We are excited to launch with our signature, whole-textured UPSIDE chicken and can't wait for consumers to taste the future."
Following this regulatory approval, UPSIDE processed the first order of its cultivated chicken, placed by three-Michelin-star Chef Dominique Crenn. UPSIDE's cultivated chicken will be launched in the US in limited quantities through select restaurant partners, starting with Chef Crenn's restaurant Bar Crenn in San Francisco.
UPSIDE also announced a contest where consumers could enter to be among the first in the United States to eat UPSIDE's cultivated chicken.
"We at UPSIDE Foods have long championed the dual regulatory jurisdiction of FDA and USDA, starting with a historic partnership with the North American Meat Institute in 2018. Since then, our team has been working diligently with both agencies to bring our cultivated chicken to market," said Eric Schulze, PhD, VP of Global and Scientific Affairs at UPSIDE Foods.
"We are grateful for the FDA's and USDA's thoughtful and rigorous review processes, which have enabled us to start bringing safe, delicious, and high-quality cultivated meat products to market in the US."
This announcement comes after a series of milestones as UPSIDE Foods approaches commercialisation, including receiving the world's first 'green light' for cultivated meat from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), a USD 400 million Series C placing the company's valuation at over USD one billion, and the expansion of its product portfolio to include ground cultivated meat products. In addition, UPSIDE will continue its work with FDA and USDA to bring its following consumer products to market, including sausages, nuggets, and dumplings.
