This month, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gave the green light for cultivated meat directly from animal cells for the first time. The company will use animal cell culture technology and will soon be able to sell chicken meat made from real animal cells grown in bioreactors in a controlled environment instead of having to slaughter live animals. The pre-market consultation process including the safety assessment for cultivated chicken meat was passed without safety concerns.

It is an historic moment as it is only the second market approval for cultured meat. In 2020, the very first regulatory approval of cultured meat took place in Singapore, and it has been sold in large quantities ever since. 

More approvals are expected to follow as nearly 100 other companies around the world are working on similar products by developing cultured meat components, services, and end products, compared to only four in 2016. By 2040, it is estimated that 60% of meat will be produced from cells grown within bioreactors and sold in grocery stores and restaurants worldwide. That is great news for the consumer and for the planet as cultivated meat and other alternative protein sources offer an excellent solution that can address climate change, reduce the risk of pandemics and antibiotic resistance, feed more people, and free up land and water for recovery.

If you are planning to launch sustainable food such as cultivated meat or other alternative protein sources and need regulatory support if not someone to guide you through EFSA’s safety assessment, contact us.