Washington, D.C. – In a groundbreaking move set to redefine the future of meat consumption, U.S. regulators have approved the sale of lab-grown chicken, marking the nation’s first official entry into the world of cell-cultivated meat.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) granted final approval to two California-based companies, Upside Foods and Good Meat, authorizing them to sell chicken produced from animal cells — rather than slaughtered animals — to restaurants and eventually to consumers nationwide.

This historic green light comes months after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) declared both companies’ cultivated meat products safe to eat. With this approval, the United States joins Singapore as one of the few countries in the world permitting commercial sales of lab-grown meat.

“Instead of using vast amounts of land, water, and resources to raise animals for slaughter, we now have a new, more sustainable way to produce meat,” said Josh Tetrick, CEO of Eat Just, the parent company of Good Meat.

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Cultivated meat is produced by harvesting animal cells — often from a fertilized egg or a living animal — and growing them in stainless steel bioreactors. The cells are fed a nutrient-rich broth containing proteins, sugars, fats, and vitamins that help them multiply and form muscle tissue. The result is real meat that does not require animal slaughter.

At Upside Foods, these cell sheets are shaped into products like chicken cutlets and sausages. Good Meat, which first launched its cultivated chicken in Singapore, transforms cell masses into nuggets, shredded chicken, and other formats.

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While this approval represents a major step forward, cultivated meat won’t appear in supermarkets anytime soon. Production remains limited and costly. Upside’s pilot plant in Emeryville, California, can currently produce up to 50,000 pounds per year, with plans to scale up to 400,000 pounds. For context, the U.S. produces roughly 50 billion pounds of traditional chicken annually.

•Upside Foods will debut its dishes at Bar Crenn in San Francisco.

•Good Meat will serve its cultivated chicken at Chef José Andrés’ restaurant in Washington, D.C.

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Despite the scientific backing, consumer hesitance remains. A recent AP-NORC poll found that half of U.S. adults are unlikely to try lab-grown meat, citing concerns about its safety or saying it “just sounds weird.”

“We call it the ‘ick factor,’” said Amy Chen, COO at Upside Foods. “But once people understand how it’s made — and especially once they taste it — they tend to change their minds.”

According to Chen, many testers simply respond: “It tastes like chicken.”

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More than 150 companies globally are racing to develop meat from cells, including beef, pork, fish, and lamb. Advocates argue that cultivated meat could dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions, land use, and animal suffering, while providing an alternative for meat lovers without sacrificing taste or texture.

Still, hurdles remain. Cost, public perception, and scalability will determine whether lab-grown meat becomes a mainstream product or remains a premium offering for the wealthy.

“If it stays a luxury item, we won’t solve the environmental problem,” said Ricardo San Martin, director of the Alt: Meat Lab at UC Berkeley. “We need this to be accessible to all.”

Tetrick agrees: “There should be a way for people to enjoy meat — without harming animals or the planet.”

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With the USDA’s historic approval, the path toward a more ethical and sustainable meat industry may finally be taking shape — one cell at a time.