A first for luxury restaurants: US allows sale of lab meat for first time

A first for luxury restaurants
US approves sale of lab-grown meat for first time

06/22/2023, 02:15 am

One of the main drivers of climate change is factory farming. Companies are putting more faith in in-vitro breeding of laboratory meat. Such products can now be sold in the United States. The first pieces of climate-friendly chicken go to select customers.

US authorities have approved the sale of lab-grown meat from cell cultures for the first time. The US Department of Agriculture has confirmed that startups Upside Foods and Good Meat have been granted licenses to sell lab-grown chicken. It is the first of its kind in the United States.

“This approval will fundamentally change how meat gets to our table,” said Upside Foods founder and chef Uma Valetti. “This is a big step toward a more sustainable future — a future that preserves choice and life.”

Good Meat boss Josh Dedrick said his company will be the only company selling approved lab meat in Singapore by 2020. “Now it’s licensed to sell to consumers in the world’s largest economy.”

Energy consumption with lab meat is immense

Upside Foods has already received its first order from French chef Dominique Gren’s Bar Gren restaurant in San Francisco, California. Good Meat, in turn, is involved in the first production for Jose Andrés, the Spanish star chef who runs several restaurants in the US capital, Washington.

Cell-culture lab meat provides animal protein without the hassles associated with factory farming and animal slaughter. This should not be confused with plant-based alternatives such as soy burgers, which mimic the taste and texture of meat but contain no animal protein.

Global meat consumption is a driver of climate change – mainly because of the massive land use for factory farming and the associated methane emissions. Lab-produced meat, also known as in-vitro meat, is intended to remedy this, according to proponents.

However, critics say that lab meat production requires large amounts of energy. So they question whether lab meat is better for the environment than conventional meat.