Lab-Grown Meat Hits Grocery Shelves

For decades, meat grown in a laboratory without animal slaughter was the stuff of science fiction. That changed permanently in June 2023 when United States regulators gave the final green light for the sale of cultivated chicken. While the initial rollout targets high-end restaurants, the path is now legally cleared for these products to enter grocery stores, marking one of the most significant shifts in food science history.

The Historic Regulatory Approval

The journey to your dinner plate cleared its final hurdle on June 21, 2023. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) granted grants of inspection to two California-based companies: UPSIDE Foods and GOOD Meat. This followed an earlier safety clearance from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

This approval makes the United States only the second country in the world, after Singapore, to legalize the commercial sale of lab-grown meat. The distinction here is vital: this is not plant-based meat like Impossible Foods or Beyond Meat. This is biologically real chicken, grown from animal cells in steel tanks rather than in a coop.

How Cultivated Meat is Made

To understand what consumers will eventually see in the frozen aisle, you must understand the production process. Companies like UPSIDE Foods do not use vegan substitutes.

  1. Cell Collection: Scientists take a small sample of cells from a living animal, such as a chicken or a fertilized egg. This process does not require killing the animal.
  2. The Bioreactor: These cells are placed in large steel vessels called bioreactors. These look similar to the tanks used for brewing beer at a microbrewery.
  3. Feeding: The cells are immersed in a nutrient-rich growth medium. This soup contains amino acids, sugars, salts, and vitamins—the same nutrients an animal would need to grow naturally.
  4. Harvesting: Within two to three weeks, the cells multiply exponentially and form muscle tissue. The meat is harvested, formed into shapes like cutlets or nuggets, and prepared for packaging.

From Restaurants to Retail: The Rollout Timeline

While the headline is that sales are approved, you likely won’t find cultivated chicken at your local Kroger or Walmart this week. The industry is following a “restaurant-first” strategy to build consumer trust and manage limited supply.

Immediately following the approval, the two approved companies announced exclusive partnerships with acclaimed chefs:

  • UPSIDE Foods partnered with Bar Crenn in San Francisco. Chef Dominique Crenn, whose restaurant holds three Michelin stars, began serving the cultivated chicken in fried form.
  • GOOD Meat launched at China Chilcano in Washington, D.C., a restaurant owned by celebrity chef JosĂ© AndrĂ©s.

The transition to grocery shelves relies on scaling up manufacturing. Currently, these companies produce thousands of pounds of meat per year. To supply a national grocery chain, they must produce millions of pounds. Industry experts predict a slow trickle into boutique grocers within the next two to three years, with mass-market availability following as production costs decrease.

The Price Barrier and Production Scaling

The biggest obstacle standing between cultivated meat and the average shopper is cost. In 2013, the first lab-grown burger cost roughly $330,000 to produce. While costs have dropped by over 99% since then, cultivated meat is still significantly more expensive to make than traditional factory-farmed poultry.

To compete with traditional chicken, which often sells for under $3.00 per pound, companies are investing hundreds of millions into infrastructure. UPSIDE Foods, for example, operates a 53,000-square-foot production facility in Emeryville, California, known as EPIC. They are currently building a commercial-scale facility in Glenview, Illinois, designed to produce up to 30 million pounds of meat annually once fully operational.

Politics and Consumer Appetite

As the science advances, the industry faces political and cultural headwinds. The concept of “ethical meat” appeals to consumers concerned about animal welfare and the climate crisis. Cultivated meat eliminates the need for slaughterhouses and significantly reduces the risk of fecal contamination in the food supply.

However, resistance is forming. In May 2024, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed SB 1084, effectively banning the sale and manufacturing of lab-grown meat in Florida. Alabama followed with similar legislation. These political moves aim to protect the traditional cattle and poultry industries.

This creates a fragmented market where cultivated meat might be a standard item on grocery shelves in California or New York, but illegal to sell in Florida or Alabama.

Safety and Nutritional Profile

For shoppers eyeing these products, safety is the primary concern. The FDA evaluation process was rigorous. They analyzed the safety of the cell lines, the production method, and the stability of the final product.

From a nutritional standpoint, cultivated meat is identical to conventional meat. It contains high protein and the same micronutrients. However, there is a potential health advantage: manufacturers can tweak the fat profile. Scientists can theoretically modify the cells to produce less saturated fat or include higher levels of Omega-3 fatty acids.

Furthermore, because the meat is grown in a sterile environment, it does not require the antibiotics heavily used in conventional factory farming. This could help mitigate the global rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is cultivated meat vegan or vegetarian? No. It is real animal tissue grown from cells. It is not suitable for vegans or vegetarians who avoid consuming animal products. However, some vegetarians choose to eat it because it does not involve animal suffering.

Does it taste like real chicken? Yes. Because it is biologically identical to chicken muscle fibers, the taste and texture are the same as conventional poultry.

When will I see the price drop? Price parity with conventional meat is the industry’s “holy grail.” Most analysts expect it will take 5 to 10 years for production to scale enough to match the price of standard supermarket chicken.

Are there other meats being developed? Yes. While chicken was approved first, companies worldwide are working on cultivated beef, pork, salmon, and even bluefin tuna. The regulatory pathways established for chicken will likely speed up the approval for these other proteins.