March 22, 2023 – A second company has received a no-questions-asked letter from U.S. regulators saying its version of lab-grown chicken is suitable for eating.
California-based GOOD Meat says the product will eventually be served in chef and philanthropist José Andrés' restaurants.
“The future of our planet depends on how we eat,” Andrés wrote on Twitter. “I'm excited you'll be able to try it soon at one of my DC restaurants!”
Manufacturers of products similar to GOOD Meat's “cultured chicken” say their feed is more environmentally friendly than conventional commercially farmed meat. Lab-grown meat uses cells from animal tissue, that are then cultivated with other substances or nutrients in order that the tip product has similar properties to muscle, fat or connective tissue.
GOOD meat says It was the primary company on the earth to sell cultured meat to consumers after unveiling its product in Singapore in 2020. The company describes its method as a substitute for “cutting down a forest or killing.” It also produces plant-based egg products sold under the brand name JUST Egg.
The FDA gave GOOD Meat the green light on Monday.
“We currently have no doubts about GOOD Meat’s conclusion that foods consisting of or containing cultured chicken cell material obtained from the [GOOD Food’s application] are just as safe as comparable foods produced using other methods,” FDA letter specified.
The letter ends a 12 months of forwards and backwards between the corporate and the FDA. Before the brand new product may be sold in restaurants and stores, the corporate must next obtain permission from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to operate its manufacturing facility in California.
“We are working with the USDA to overcome this final hurdle,” said GOOD Meat CEO Josh Tetrick said NPR by text.
Currently, no lab-grown meat product has received all of the approvals needed to enter the U.S. market. In November, competitor UPSIDE Foods also received a “no questions” letter for its lab-grown meat. More than 80 firms are actively working to bring lab-grown meat to market, NPR reported.