FDA approves artificial meat for human consumption
US regulators have just approved the culture and use of meat made from animal cells – the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) have deemed the meat product safe for humans to eat. The lab-grown invention was developed by Upside Foods, a US-based food technology company that makes cell-cultured chicken by harvesting cells from live animals and using the cells to grow meat in stainless-steel tanks.
Upside Foods, formerly Memphis Meats, will be able to bring its products to market once it has been inspected by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). So far, only FDA has reviewed data from the company; however, the review is not technically an approval and applies only to Upside Foods’ products.
“We are thrilled at FDA’s announcement,” said David Kay, Upside Foods’ Director of Communications. “This historic step paves the way for our path to market.”
Meanwhile, according to FDA Commissioner Robert M. Califf and Susan Mayne, Director of the FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, the regulatory body is committed to supporting innovation in the food supply chain in the wake of a food revolution. This includes demand for alternatives to farmed meat, alongside awareness of the high greenhouse gas emissions of raising livestock.
The FDA remains ready to work with other firms to develop cultured animal cell food even as it sorts through a 2019 agreement with USDA, where USDA will oversee the processing and labeling of cell-cultured meat products.
