Upside Foods Gets USDA Label Approval for 'Cell-Cultivated Chicken'

A new way of producing meat—without the slaughter of billions of animals annually—is one step closer to regulatory approval in the United States. California-based company Upside Foods makes cultivated meat using a small amount of cells that are grown into real meat without the need to slaughter animals. Producing meat this way has many upsides, including reducing the environmental impact of meat production. 

Today, Upside Foods announced that on June 12, it gained label approval from the US Department of Agriculture for its cultivated chicken. The USDA-approved label uses the term “cell-cultivated chicken.” 

Upside Foods

“The USDA’s approval of our label marks a major step forward towards our goal of creating a more humane and sustainable food system,” Uma Valeti, MD, CEO and Founder of Upside Foods, said in a statement. 

The USDA is one of two government bodies, the other being the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), responsible for granting regulatory approval for cultivated meat. This week’s USDA label approval follows another historic milestone set by Upside last November when it received a  generally regarded as safe (GRAS) letter from the FDA, deeming its cultivated chicken filet safe for consumption in the US.

In order to make its way to consumers, Upside’s cultivated chicken needs one final approval from the USDA, a Grant of Inspection (GOI) of its production plant—called Engineering, Production, and Innovation Center “EPIC”—in Emeryville, CA. 

Upside Foods

The GOI inspection, the timeline for which is currently unknown, is required in order to confirm that EPIC meets federal operating requirements for meat and poultry facilities. Once obtained, Upside will proudly display the USDA inspection mark akin to traditional meat producers. 

“We’re excited to continue working with the USDA to achieve our next milestone: a GOI for our facility,” Valleti said. “Obtaining the USDA’s GOI will clear the way for commercial production and sales and allow us to bring our delicious UPSIDE chicken to consumers for the first time.”

Cultivated meat’s road to regulatory approval

Today’s announcement is the latest step in changing the way meat is made for the benefit of all. The first company in the world to ever receive regulatory approval for its cultivated meat was Upside’s Northern California neighbor Eat Just. In late 2020, Singapore’s food authority granted Eat Just’s subsidiary Good Meat regulatory approval for its cultivated chicken bites. 

Good Meat’s chicken has since evolved into new formats and launched on menus across Singapore. The company is also working to expand its operations, including in the US where it signed a multi-year exclusive agreement with bioprocess equipment innovator ABEC, Inc to design, manufacture, install, and commission the world’s largest bioreactors. Once operational, Good Meat plans to produce 30 million pounds of meat annually without slaughtering a single animal. 

Eat Just

Stateside, Good Meat also nabbed a GRAS letter from the FDA in March deeming its cultivated chicken safe for consumption. This month, Good Meat shared on LinkedIn that Sarah Baig—USDA Deputy Under Secretary for Research, Education, and Economics—had toured its California facilities and tasted its cultivated meat. 

Good Meat gained USDA label approval for its cultivated chicken earlier this month, making it the first company to clear that regulatory approval, but was not planning to announce the milestone until it received the GOI which is currently in progress.

“Good Meat received approval of our label on June 8 and we began working toward that and the formal grant of inspection prior to the FDA’s ‘no questions’ letter,” Andrew Noyes, Vice President, Head of Global Communications & Public Affairs, tells VegNews.

“The USDA District Office has become familiar with our processes and products and their staff have been collaborative throughout this process,” Noyes said.

Where to taste Upside’s cultivated chicken

Valeti—a cardiologist—founded Upside in 2015 with a clear mission: to change the way meat is produced for good. With this week’s announcement of the USDA label approval, Upside is well on its way to making that goal a reality. 

Upside Foods

How will consumers first taste Upside’s cultivated chicken once the final USDA approval is in place? The company’s road to market will begin at select restaurants, starting with Bar Crenn in San Francisco, which is owned by three-Michelin star Chef Dominique Crenn—who joined the company in 2021 as its first chef partner. 

“When I tasted Upside Chicken for the first time, I thought, this is it,” Crenn said in a statement at the time. This is the future of food. The look, smell, and sear—Upside Chicken is just delicious.” 

After its initial launch with Crenn, Upside plans to expand its cultivated chicken to other restaurants and, eventually, into grocery stores. Upside is also working with the FDA and USDA to bring sausages, nuggets, and dumplings—all made without slaughtering animals—to market. 

Good Meat counts José Andrés as a board member and the humanitarian chef plans to serve its cultivated meat at one of his US restaurants once final regulatory approvals are in place. 

Both Good Meat (through its sister company Eat Just) and Upside Foods are members of the Alliance for Meat, Poultry, and Seafood Innovation (AMPS Innovation), a coalition that aims to advance the cellular agriculture industry. Together with AMPS, the companies will push forth for a more sustainable global food system, made without the need to slaughter animals en masse.

Anna Starostinetskaya is the Senior News Editor at VegNews and is always keeping an eye on all things vegan in her home city of San Francisco, CA and everywhere else.