We are delighted to announce that UPSIDE Foods, a remarkable company under the portfolio of Stray Dog Capital, has successfully completed the pre-market regulatory review process for its cultivated chicken. This groundbreaking achievement brings us one step closer to commercially launching cultivated meat products in the United States.
The regulatory review process was concluded after UPSIDE Foods obtained a highly coveted Grant of Inspection (GOI) from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), adding to its list of accomplishments, which includes label approval in 2023 and a historic “green light” from the FDA in 2022. With this significant milestone, UPSIDE Foods can now commence commercial production and sales of its exceptional cultivated chicken.
By obtaining regulatory approval, UPSIDE Foods has unequivocally demonstrated compliance with the USDA’s rigorous regulations concerning food safety and poultry product labeling. Since UPSIDE Food’s whole-textured chicken product is over 99% cultivated chicken cells, the company is subject to rigorous inspections and food safety standards, similar to animal-based poultry.
UPSIDE Foods will begin commercial production at its state-of-the-art Engineering, Production, and Innovation Center (EPIC). The 53,000-square-foot campus located in Emeryville, California, is the most advanced cultivated meat production facility in the world. Equipped with custom-made, patented cultivators, EPIC has the capacity to produce over 50,000 pounds of finished product, with future projections reaching over 400,000 pounds per year.
“I’m thrilled to share that cultivated meat will now be available for consumers in the U.S.,” said Dr. Uma Valeti, CEO and Founder of UPSIDE Foods. “This approval will fundamentally change how meat makes it to our table. It’s a giant step forward towards a more sustainable future – one that preserves choice and life. We are excited to launch with our signature, whole-textured UPSIDE chicken and can’t wait for consumers to taste the future.”
This announcement comes after a series of milestones as UPSIDE Foods approaches commercialization, including a $400M Series C placing the company’s valuation at over $1 billion, and the expansion of its product portfolio to include ground-cultivated meat products. In addition, UPSIDE will continue its work with FDA and USDA to bring its next consumer products to market, including sausages, nuggets, and dumplings.
UPSIDE will be launching its cultivated chicken in the U.S. in limited quantities through select restaurant partners, starting with three-Michelin-star Chef Dominique Crenn’s restaurant Bar Crenn in San Francisco. The company has also announced a contest where consumers can enter for a chance to be among the first in the U.S. to try the products. Consumers can visit the company’s social media profiles (Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter) to enter.