Food

U.S. regulators met another alternative protein milestone Wednesday when they approved both Upside Foods and Good Meat to sell their cultivated chicken products within the country.

Known as “cell-cultivated” or “cultured meat,” these proteins are made from animal cells rather than slaughtered animals and are often developed using a fermentation process involving bioreactors.

Upside Foods and Good Meat, both based in California, will now be able to serve their food, initially in restaurants. Upside has already taken its first restaurant order and will provide limited quantities to Bar Crenn in San Francisco, while Good Meat has a partnership with a restaurant in Washington, DC, run by chef and owner Jos? Andr?s.

Today’s approval follows the U.S. Department of Agriculture last week approving the way both companies were going to label their products.

Both companies also received a grant of inspection from the USDA, Upside for its engineering, production, and innovation center, and Good Meat for its demonstration plant in Alameda, along with its contract manufacturing partner, JOINN Biologics. The inspection process includes examination of facilities and equipment; standard operating procedure for sanitation; and the systematic approach to identification, evaluation and control of food safety hazards, according to Good Meat.