Today's Article

2Lab-made animal protein from the company's Good Meat and Upside Foods is now clear for 3production and sale in the US. 

“We're just trying to make the same product people have loved their 4entire lives, a different way.”

But just because it looks the same, tastes the same, and is just as safe, would you eat chicken 5cultivated in a 6lab? Well, you won't see lab meat at your local store anytime soon. Here's what you should know now. 

One, how is it made? The meat is made from animal 7cells and is grown in 8massive 9bioreactors. 

“We can produce a lot of 10muscle tissue directly from a very small amount of cells, and then we 11feed it to other people.”

Two, what are the 12benefits? 13Advocates of lab meat say it's a more 14environmentally friendly way to produce meat. 15Animal agriculture is responsible for a 16significant amount of 17greenhouse gas 18emissions, which 19contributes to 20climate change. 

Three, is it safe? Both the 21FDA and 22USDA have said some lab meats are safe for 23human consumption. But experts say animal cells are 24prone to 25contamination and say it faces long term production challenges.

“Can you grow them at 26scale in such numbers that it will make it 27competitive with beef or any other? You know… it could be fish or 28poultry. And our answer to that, based just on well-known principles of 29biotechnology, of 30fermentation processes, it doesn't look very good.”

Four, what about the cost? The exact pricing is still unclear. 

And finally, when can you buy it? No exact date has been announced, but Good Meat said production started immediately after USDA 31approval.