The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a cell-cultured animal protein for human consumption for the first time.
On 15 November, 2022, the FDA issued a “No Questions” letter for cultivated meat, poultry, and seafood produced by Berkeley, California, U.S.A.-based Upside Foods. The letter essentially clears the company, which produces lab-grown meat, poultry, and seafood direct from animal cells, to sell its products commercially in the United States.
Upside, the creator of the world’s first cultivated meatball and cultivated poultry products, has the goal of creating “delicious new sources of meat, fish, and poultry that also address environmental sustainability, animal welfare, and public health concerns.” It purchased Madison, Wisconsin, U.S.A.-based cultivated seafood company Cultured Decadence, which is developing a cell-based American lobster product, in January 2022.
"This is a watershed moment in the history of food," Upside Foods Founder and CEO Uma Valeti said. "We started Upside amid a world full of skeptics, and today, we've made history again as the first company to receive a 'No Questions' letter from the FDA for cultivated meat. This milestone marks a major step towards a new era in meat production, and I'm thrilled that U.S. consumers will soon have the chance to eat delicious meat that's grown directly from animal cells."
Upside recently announced it had raised USD 400 million (EUR 390 million) in its series C investment round. The company has placed its value over USD 1 billion including its acquisition and partnership with cultivated seafood company Cultured Decadance.
In a press release, the FDA said it is ready to work with other developers of cultured animal cell food and productions to ensure their safety and suitability for public consumption under the U.S. Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.
“We are already engaged in discussions with multiple firms about various types of food made from cultured animal cells, including food made from seafood cells that will be overseen solely by the FDA. Our goal is to support innovation in food technologies while always maintaining as our priority the production of safe food," the agency said.
There are now dozens of companies involved in the development of cell-based seafood products, including BlueNalu, Finless Foods, and Shiok Meats, according to a list of cellular seafood companies operating globally published by Erik Byrenius, the co-founder of foodtech investment firm Trellis Road.
Photo courtesy of tilialucida/Shutterstock
