On Wednesday 21 June 2023, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) approved the sale of cell-cultivated chicken, for the first time, by UPSIDE Foods and GOOD Meat.
A landmark moment for the future of food, this represents a crucial step forward in the journey to find alternative, environmentally-friendly, and ethically-sound methods of meat production. The approvals will surely spark renewed interest and significant additional investment in cellular agriculture technology, driving yet further innovation in this fast-moving field.
This makes the US the second jurisdiction to approve cultivated meat for sale, after Singapore in late 2020. We hope that the UK’s Food Standards Agency (FSA) will also move soon, as we expect early adopters of the technology to enjoy significant economic benefit from the commercial opportunities opened-up by approvals. Earlier in June, Deloitte published recommendations for changes to the UK’s Novel Foods Regulatory Framework in a report commissioned by the FSA, commenting that ‘a good regulatory process does not impose unnecessary barriers to innovation’. Cultivated meat is poised to revolutionise the global food system, and the UK should look to act quickly if they want to enjoy a slice of the action.
We are proud to be working with the innovative companies working to transform the global food system to make it more sustainable and compassionate. In particular, we are delighted to have worked with UPSIDE Foods on their patent portfolio in Europe.
Learn more about this USDA approval here and more about future food, including cellular agriculture, on our Spotlight Page.
We have also discussed this announcement in Food Manufacture, New Food, and The Patent Lawyer.
UPDATE 5 JULY 2023:
The Netherlands has become the first European country to allow cultivated meat and seafood tastings, even before an EU novel food approval. On 5 July 2023, the Dutch government announced that tastings will soon take place under limited conditions.
