GOOD Meat’s cultivated chicken wins USDA full approval

In a historic milestone for the cultivated meat sector, GOOD Meat, the division of food tech firm Eat Just, Inc., announced today that it has secured approval from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) to bring its cultivated chicken to interstate commerce.

This approval, the first of its kind, permits the company to sell its chicken product, made directly from animal cells, to American consumers.

The announcement follows the USDA’s recent approval of GOOD Meat’s label and comes four months after the firm received a “no questions” letter from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This letter, issued in March, confirmed the FDA’s acceptance of GOOD Meat’s claim that its cultivated chicken is safe for consumption. It also kickstarted the USDA’s portion of the regulatory process, as outlined in a 2019 agreement between the two agencies.

Over the past few years, GOOD Meat has already bagged multiple regulatory approvals for its chicken product in Singapore, along with a key clearance in January 2023 that significantly eases the path to greater scalability, lower production costs, and a more sustainable product.

Cultivated chicken from GOOD Meat. Photo courtesy of Eat Just, Inc./Business Wire.

According to the Federal Meat Inspection Act (FMIA) and Poultry Products Inspection Act (PPIA), all commercial meat and poultry must pass an inspection to confirm its safety, wholesomeness, and accurate labeling. For the first time, the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) will station inspectors in facilities producing cultivated meat and poultry, such as GOOD Meat.

As part of the USDA’s approval, GOOD Meat’s demonstration plant in Alameda, California, and its contract manufacturing partner, JOINN Biologics, have both received a grant of inspection. The in-depth vetting process included assessments of facilities, equipment, sanitation procedures, and the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) approach to food safety.

Following the grant of inspection, production has started on the first batch of cultivated chicken, soon to be served to distinguished restaurateur and humanitarian, Chef José Andrés. Andrés, owner of the José Andrés Group that operates more than 30 restaurants nationwide, has previously revealed that an undisclosed restaurant in Washington, D.C., will be the first in the US to feature GOOD Meat’s cultivated chicken on its menu.

Josh Tetrick — GOOD Meat and Eat Just co-founder and CEO said: “This announcement that we’re now able to produce and sell cultivated meat in the United States is a major moment for our company, the industry and the food system. We have been the only company selling cultivated meat anywhere in the world since we launched in Singapore in 2020, and now it’s approved to sell to consumers in the world’s largest economy.

“We appreciate the rigor and thoughtfulness that both the FDA and USDA have applied during this historic two-agency regulatory process.”