The FDA approved the sale of lab-grown meat by Tyson Foods, a major supplier to restaurants and food companies in June, 2023, making it more readily available for American families.
According to the UC Davis Cultivated Meat Consortium, UPSIDE Foods and GOOD Meat received final approvals from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) on June 21, 2023, for the sale of cell-cultivated chicken in the United States. This marked the first approvals of cultivated meat products in the U.S. and a turning point for the industry.
“The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) worked with the USDA to complete a joint review process that was initially outlined in March 2019.”
“The announcement of these approvals was preceded by the successful conclusion of pre-market consultation processes by the FDA (the ‘no questions’ letters), USDA facility approvals, and USDA label approvals in spring 2023,” the report stated.
In 2018, Tyson Foods, one of the world’s largest food companies, invested in UPSIDE Foods (formerly Memphis Meats), a cultivated meat company backed by several well-known investors, including Bill Gates, who believes that lab-grown meat can replace regular meat over time to reduce greenhouse gases.
“Tyson Foods joins a diverse group of investors in Memphis Meats, which includes industry leaders, top venture investors and mission-driven groups, such as DFJ, Atomico, Cargill, Bill Gates and Richard Branson,” Tyson Foods stated.
Tyson Foods has been reported to supply chicken products to several major brands and retailers, including McDonald’s, KFC, Walmart’s Great Value brand, and Kroger’s private-label chicken products.
Tyson Foods also stated that its intention in investing millions of dollars in such companies is to allow the growing population to feel good about the proteins they consume, specifically animal protein.
“We’re also stepping up our game on animal proteins by reinvesting millions of dollars in our core businesses and making bold moves that matter to consumers, like raising chicken without antibiotics,” the company said.
In addition, Tyson Foods invested in Believer Meats, an Israeli biotechnology company specializing in cultivated meat. The company recently received approval to utilize a U.S.-based facility to produce lab-grown meat.
Some supporters of stricter labeling argued that consumers should be informed about how cultivated meat is produced.
“What you’re talking about is serving a product to people that is essentially growing in a bioreactor with different chemicals and hormones to encourage growth, and then packaging it. Education and transparency is key,” stated the Food Institute Focus.
“Cultivated meat companies do not see legislative push back as a threat, but rather as a prohibition on consumer choice,” the organisation pointed out.
However, Jessica Almy, senior vice president of policy and government relations for the Good Food Institute, stated that “Federal law already protects consumers,” she continued, “The USDA inspects and approves meat and poultry labels, including cultivated meat products, to ensure they’re not misleading. So there’s no problem here that needs to be addressed.”
The growing debate over cultivated meat has also piqued the interest of many other advocates.
Italian Minister of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry Francesco Lollobrigida stated, “We are the first nation to ban it, to the chagrin of multinational companies that hoped to make monstrous profits, jeopardizing the jobs and health of citizens,” he said, referring to Italy.
Feminist vegan sociologist Lori Girshick also argued that, “We cannot advocate a food made from animals and at the same time claim to want to end the exploitation and use of animals. It is impossible.”