What seemed like a science fiction scenario a few years ago has already become a legislative and commercial reality in the United States.
Meat that does not come from raising and slaughtering an entire animal, but is produced from animal cells in a controlled environment, has received federal approval for production and sale on the American market.
The United States became in June 2023 the second country in the world, after Singapore, to allow the commercial sale of cultured meat.
This is not, however, a new law that has just been passed by the Department of Health and Human Services. It is a series of approvals given by two different federal agencies: the Food and Drug Administration, known as the FDA, and the United States Department of Agriculture, the USDA.
How cultured meat was approved
The process began in November 2022, when the FDA completed the first safety assessment of a food produced from cultured animal cells.
UPSIDE Foods had submitted data on a cultured chicken product. The FDA said that, based on the information it reviewed, it had no further questions about the company's conclusion that its product was safe.
In March 2023, the corresponding evaluation of GOOD Meat's cultured chicken product followed.
Completing the FDA review was not enough to begin sales. The USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service then had to approve the manufacturing facilities and labels.
In June 2023, the two companies received the necessary federal approvals, officially paving the way for the production and commercialization of cultured chicken in the United States.
What is "artificial" meat really?
The term "artificial meat" is often used in everyday conversation, but the more accurate term is "cultured meat" or "meat grown from animal cells."
This is not a plant-based substitute, like soy or pea burgers.
Companies take cells from an animal and place them in a special nutrient environment. There, the cells multiply inside bioreactors until they create animal tissue that can be used to make food.
The final product is considered animal meat because it comes from actual animal cells, even if it is not created through the traditional breeding and slaughter process.
The second country after Singapore
Singapore was the first country in the world to allow the sale of cell-cultured meat in 2020.
The United States' approval three years later was considered particularly significant, due to the size of the American market and the influence of American regulatory agencies on decisions in other countries.
The development does not mean that cultured meat has already replaced conventional meat in American supermarkets.
The first products were made available on a very limited scale and mainly through selected restaurants. The high production cost and the difficulty of mass production remain significant obstacles.
What the industry supports
Companies developing cultured meat argue that the technology can limit animal slaughter and reduce the need for land, water and feed.
They also argue that production within a controlled environment can limit certain risks associated with zoonoses, antibiotic use, and contamination during traditional meat processing.
Environmental benefit claims, however, depend largely on the energy required to operate the facilities and bioreactors.
Researchers have pointed out that the current production process remains energy-intensive. If the energy does not come from renewable sources, the overall environmental benefit may be less than that presented by the industry.
The questions that need to be answered
Federal approval does not mean that scientific, social, and ethical debates have stopped.
Consumers have the right to know clearly what they are buying, by what process it has been prepared and what ingredients were used in production.
Product labeling must be clear and not give the impression that it is meat that comes from traditional farming.
Questions also remain about long-term consumption, the true cost of production, the concentration of technology in a few large companies, and the consequences for livestock farmers and rural societies.
It is one thing to approve specific products after evaluation, and another to assess the overall impact of a new industry that could change the way food is produced.
Political reactions and bans in the states
Despite federal approval, several US states have expressed strong opposition.
Florida banned the production and sale of cultured meat in the state in 2024, arguing that traditional livestock farming and consumers must be protected.
Other states have followed suit or are considering similar regulations. The conflict has now reached the courts, as companies argue that state bans conflict with the federal approval system and unduly restrict interstate commerce.
This fact proves that the debate is not over. On the contrary, it has just begun.
Greek News & Radio FL had warned of what was coming
Greek News & Radio FL had dealt with the issue before it reached its current extent.
In our previous publication, we presented the expansion of cultured meat in Australia, the method of its production, the industry's arguments and the reservations of scientists and consumers.
We had pointed out that this technology would not be limited to one or two countries. It would expand gradually and be part of a broader change in the global food production system.
We had also emphasized that the crucial question is not just whether people will try such a product out of curiosity.
The real question is whether they will choose it repeatedly, whether they will trust it, and whether they will be fully informed about how it is produced.
Today, developments confirm that the discussion we opened did not concern a distant future.
This future has already arrived.
Everything should not be decided without the consumer
Science evolves and technology cannot stop. However, this does not mean that every new technology should be accepted without questions, without scrutiny, and without public debate.
Consumers should not find themselves one day in front of a product without knowing its true origin.
Unclear names or packaging that conceals the production method should not be used.
The choice must remain free.
Anyone who wishes to consume cultured meat should be able to do so, as long as the product has been tested and is clearly labeled.
Anyone who wishes to choose only conventional meat should also have this option, without being misled and without artificially burdening traditional production.
Technology should not eliminate information, transparency and the right to choose.
Greek News & Radio FL will continue to monitor the issue, seek official answers, and inform Greek Americans about the changes coming to our diet.
Because we were once told that these things belong to the distant future.
Today they are already on our table.
Πηγές
US Food and Drug Administration – FDA
US Department of Agriculture – USDA
Food Safety and Inspection Service – FSIS
Associated Press
Greek News & Radio FL – Previous report on cultured meat
photo HNBS, https://pixabay.com
