Lab Cultured Chicken Approved for Human Consumption – Truth about Pet Food

June 23, 2023 Kar-Bay-Inc

The FDA and the USDA have approved lab-grown chicken products for sale in the US. Two companies – Upside Foods and Good Meat – have been given approval.

A CNN story states “In a nutshell, lab-grown meat — or cultivated or cell-based meat — is meat that is developed from animal cells and grown, with the help of nutrients like amino acids, in massive bioreactors.”

The approval letter to Upside foods did not state the FDA itself determined cultured chicken was safe for human consumption, instead the agency took a non-committal stance careful to put full responsibility to food safety on the manufacturer of these products. “Based on the safety assessment UPSIDE has conducted, it is our understanding that UPSIDE has concluded that foods comprised of or containing the cultured cellular material resulting from the production process defined in CCC 000002 are as safe as comparable foods produced by other methods.”

But the FDA letter was very clear in its approval letter clarifying that label disclosure of “bioengineered material in human food” is required.

To read the FDA approval letters of these products, click here.

Will lab grown chicken be used in pet food?

With the approval of cultured chicken for human food, it could be used in pet food (when these products are available commercially). But cost is a concern that will probably prevent its use anytime soon.

But…what about the by-products of the production of lab-cultured meat?

Pet food is commonly used as a dumping ground for food waste – permitted by FDA with no disclosure to consumers. The federal regulations that require disclosure of bioengineered foods on labels is specifically for human foods, they would not apply to pet foods.

Currently, slaughter waste, dead animal disposal, brewery waste, used restaurant grease, expired food waste, and more is disposed of into pet food/animal foods with no label disclosure. These ingredients are hidden behind a generic ingredient name to prevent transparency. We are concerned that as other industries do, the cultured cell industry will see pet food as the perfect dumping ground for their by-products AND as with so many other waste ingredients the pet food consumer will not be informed.

We have sent the FDA/CVM questions regarding the by-products of this new industry, specifically asking if they have already been used in pet food or will be in the future. If the FDA provides us with any information, it will be shared.

Wishing you and your pet(s) the best,

Susan Thixton
Pet Food Safety Advocate
Author Buyer Beware, Co-Author Dinner PAWsible
TruthaboutPetFood.com
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