Tastes Like Chicken: UPSIDE Foods Makes Commercial Debut

Cell cultured chicken is finally on the menu.

Just ten days after receiving USDA approval to produce and sell cell-cultured chicken for U.S. consumers, “cruelty-free” meat company UPSIDE Foods officially served its first cell-grown chicken, marking the first ever purchase of meat product grown from animal cells in the States.

At a splashy event hosted at chef Dominique Crenn’s Michelin-star restaurant Bar Crenn in San Francisco, five guests – selected via an Instagram contest, with all expenses covered – “paid” a symbolic $1 for a taste of UPSIDE’s chicken prepared fried in a tempura batter and served with burnt chili aioli, edible flowers and locally-sourced greens.

Chef Crenn – who stopped serving meat in her restaurants in 2019 over ethical concerns – plans to integrate UPSIDE’s chicken into the restaurant’s full-time menu later this year.

“It’s the first time meat has made it back on my menu since 2018, because UPSIDE Chicken is the first meat that I feel good about serving,” Crenn said in a statement. “From its exquisite flavor and texture to its aroma and the way it cooks, UPSIDE Chicken is simply delicious and it represents a significant step towards a more sustainable and compassionate food system.”

The much-hyped event was documented on social media by the company and the five contest winners. In a statement provided by UPSIDE, one of the guests – influencer Erin Sharoni, who is currently building her own “plant-based venture,” – described it as “the most extraordinary thing I’ve ever eaten.”

The dinner marks another milestone for the cell-cultured meat industry, which has garnered over $2.8 billion in capital investment over the years but has, until now, only been able to legally sell cultured meat, seafood or poultry in Singapore, according to non-profit the Good Food Institute. Yet, even as the door opens for UPSIDE and competitor Eat JUST’s GOOD Meat brand, questions remain as to the scalability of the production process and the economic feasibility of replacing animal meat production with a “lab-grown” variety.

According to the company, UPSIDE will continue to launch the cultivated chicken in limited quantities through select U.S. restaurant partners. GOOD Meat is expected to release its first cultured chicken to the U.S. at José Andrés’ Washington D.C. restaurant China Chilcano.