Cultivated meat gets the go ahead for sale in the US

BERKELEY, CALIF. — Upside Foods and GOOD Meat, the cultivated meat unit of Eat Just Inc., both received a Grant of Inspection (GOI) from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) on June 21 to sell cultivated chicken in the United States. The GOI marks the final step of the pre-market regulatory review necessary for food technology companies to begin commercial production and sales.

“I’m thrilled to share that cultivated meat will now be available for consumers in the US,” said Uma Valeti, founder and chief executive officer of Upside Foods. “This approval will fundamentally change how meat makes it to our table. It’s a giant step forward toward a more sustainable future — one 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.”

Upside said its first order — which it began processing once the GOI was received — will be served at Bar Crenn, San Francisco, and prepared by three-Michelin-star chef Dominique Crenn.

While GOOD Meat awaited clearance for commercialization in the United States, the company had been selling its cultivated chicken products in Singapore, where it earned regulatory approval in 2020.

“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, co-founder and CEO of GOOD Meat and Eat Just. “We have been the only company selling cultivated meat anywhere in the world since we launched in Singapore in 2020, and now it's approved to sell to consumers in the world's largest economy. We appreciate the rigor and thoughtfulness that both the FDA and USDA have applied during this historic two-agency regulatory process.”