Sun Staff Reports
Alameda-based GOOD Meats is one of two California companies to receive approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for the commercial production of “lab-grown” meat.
“This historic U.S. label approval is yet another step toward building a safer and more sustainable food system,” said Josh Tetrick, co-founder and CEO of GOOD Meat and Eat Just, GOOD Meat’s parent company, in a statement.
In June, the USDA approved the sale of “lab-grown” chicken, which is made from animal cells. This gave clearance to GOOD Meats and Berkeley-based Upside Foods to sell “cultivated” meat to American consumers and restaurants.
GOOD Meat’s cultivated meat is made inside a 100,000-square-foot plant at their 300 Wind River Way location. According to its website, the process begins by sourcing the best cells from chickens and cows. They extract cells from an egg or living animal. They examine the cells and choose the ones they believe will most likely produce the healthiest, most delicious, and most sustainable meat — the cells are divided and can used to produce meat indefinitely.
The process unfolds in a bioreactor or “cultivator” — a vessel similar to a beer fermenting tank. The cultivator provides the energy and warmth needed for growth. The cells are immersed in nutrients such as amino acids, proteins, minerals, fats and vitamins; similar to what an animal would feed itself in the wild.
After four to six weeks, the cells are removed from the cultivator. They grow the cells on a natural scaffolding so, as they divide, they grow into the desired shape and texture. The company uses 3-D printing to build cultivated meat cells into more familiar meat shapes. Extrusion cooking uses temperature differences and pressure gradients to create a more fibrous, meaty texture.
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