Will cultured meat be available in U.S. grocery stores this year?

“Cultured meat,” meat made from animal cells and grown in a nutrient medium. Lab-grown meat is not yet approved for sale in the United States, but companies are gearing up for mass production once they get the necessary permits, licenses, and testing.

Earlier this month, Believer Meats built his $123 million facility in Wilson, North Carolina. The facility will have the capacity to produce 10 tons of meat per year, making it the largest cultivated meat facility in the world. The new facility will be Believer Meats’ second manufacturing facility. Last year, the company opened its first facility in Rehovot, Israel, with the capacity to produce 500 kilograms of cultivated meat per day. Believer Meats has developed processes to produce farmed chicken, beef, pork and mutton. Believer Meats has $600 million in funding, and its investors include ADM and Tyson Foods.

Before any cultured meat can be sold in the U.S., the FDA and USDA must approve the processes, license the facilities, inspect the facilities, inspect the meat, and approve labeling for the meat.  UPSIDE Food Inc. became the first cultured meat company to complete the FDA’s premarket consultation process.

When the cultured meat is harvested and processed into its final form, regulatory oversight will shift to the Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) of the USDA.  Believer Meats has indicated that it has been working with the FDA, but the FDA has not yet issued any statement on Believer Meats’ processes or products

Source: GFI.org

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