Lab-Grown Chicken Is Officially Approved for Sale—How Will It Affect You?

Is this only the beginning for cultivated meat?

It's official—lab-grown meat is approved for production in the United States. Two companies, Upside Foods and Good Meats, have been given the green light to produce and sell their cultivated chicken products (which have been in development for many years). This will be another alternative for those who don't like factory-farmed meat or the ultra-processed meat alternatives currently on the market.

What Exactly Is in Lab-Grown Chicken?

Upside Foods and Good Meats both make chicken using animal cells. They emphasize that their product is the same as conventional meat (it’s nutritionally identical) and, as a result, will bear the exact same USDA seal. Upside provides a simplified explanation of the process:

"We take a sample of cells, place them in a vessel called a cultivator, and feed them the right blend of nutrients to multiply and grow. After two to three weeks, the meat is harvested, formulated, and ready to enjoy. The process of making cultivated meat is similar to brewing beer. But instead of growing yeast or bacteria, we grow animal cells!"

The nutrient blend contains water, salt, amino acids, vitamins, and minerals. The final product looks like minced meat and is then formed into patties that resemble a boneless, skinless chicken breast. So far, chicken has been the easiest meat to cultivate, as beef has more complexity in its structure and flavor.

When Will Lab-Grown Chicken Be Available in Stores?

It might be years before cultivated meat is sold at grocery stores, so don't expect to see it anytime soon. When it does show up, it will likely be far more expensive than conventional meat, because it is a new product not yet produced at high scale. It will be similar to how the Impossible burger was initially only available in a handful of restaurants as a novel item but is now widely stocked in grocery stores.

We're pretty sure that lab-grown chicken will receive mixed reviews, but this news is undeniably a milestone that will shape food production in the coming decades.