In an unprecedented move that could fundamentally reshape the very concept of the food industry, U.S. regulators have approved the sale of “lab-grown” chicken meat.
On Wednesday, the Agriculture Department gave the go-ahead to two California-based companies, Upside Foods and Good Meat, to bring their cell-cultivated meat to the nation’s restaurant tables and, eventually, supermarket shelves.
The companies have been racing to be the first in the U.S. to sell meat that doesn’t come from slaughtered animals. They’ve branded this controversial new product as “cell-cultivated” or “cultured” meat.
“This announcement that we’re now able to produce and sell cultivated meat in the United States is a major moment for our company, the industry and the food system,” said Josh Tetrick, CEO of Eat Just, which operates Good Meat.
While the companies and regulators claim the development is a step toward eliminating harm to animals and reducing environmental impacts, critics remain unconvinced.
“Instead of all of that land and all of that water that’s used to feed all of these animals that are slaughtered, we can do it in a different way,” Tetrick added.
These optimistic claims seem to overshadow the stark realities of this process. Cultivated meat is developed by growing animal stem cells in a nourishing medium and a bioreactor. The end product mimics the appearance and taste of traditional meat.
According to PBS, for Upside, the end product comes out in large sheets shaped into items like chicken cutlets and sausages. Good Meat, which already sells cultivated meat in Singapore, transforms chicken cells into a variety of forms, such as cutlets, nuggets, and shredded meat.
However, the public should exercise caution before embracing this so-called “innovation.”
Not only does this advancement raise ethical and potential health concerns, but it also brings into question the sustainability of this method. The rush to bring lab-grown meat to market may be premature without a comprehensive understanding of its long-term environmental impact, economic feasibility, and potential health risks.
As it stands, the Agriculture Department’s approval feels more like a worrying leap into the unknown, rather than a confident step forward for sustainability and animal welfare. It remains to be seen whether consumers will readily accept meat that swaps the farmyard for the laboratory.