How US approval works
Bringing cultivated meat to a US plate takes two agencies. The FDA signs off on cell-culture safety through a voluntary pre-market consultation, then the USDA inspects and labels the finished meat. The FDA describes its half plainly.
Primary source 01 / 06
The FDA's voluntary pre-market consultation process evaluates the safety of food made from cultured animal cells before it enters the market.
A consultation ending with 'no questions' is the FDA's safety green light. It is not, by itself, permission to sell. The dated ledger below tracks each milestone against its primary document.
The ledger
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FDA completes its first cultivated-meat consultation (UPSIDE Foods, chicken)
The FDA's first-ever pre-market consultation for a food made from cultured animal cells ended with no further questions about UPSIDE Foods' safety conclusion for its cultured chicken.
Primary source 02 / 06
We evaluated the information UPSIDE Foods submitted to the agency and have no further questions at this time about the firm's safety conclusion.
US Food and Drug Administration Constituent Update, November 16, 2022 FDA Constituent Update, 2022 -
FDA completes its second consultation (GOOD Meat, chicken)
GOOD Meat became the second company to clear the FDA's cell-culture safety review, again for cultured chicken.
Primary source 03 / 06
We evaluated the information GOOD Meat, Inc submitted to the agency and have no further questions at this time about the firm's safety conclusion.
US Food and Drug Administration Constituent Update, March 21, 2023 FDA Constituent Update, 2023 -
USDA grants inspection: cultivated chicken can be sold in the US
With USDA grants of inspection to UPSIDE Foods and GOOD Meat, cultivated meat could legally be sold in the United States for the first time. Reported here from the Good Food Institute, quoted briefly under fair use.
Primary source 04 / 06
Today, UPSIDE Foods and GOOD Meat received landmark grants of inspection from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). This allows them to sell their cultivated chicken products in the United States, marking a decisive moment in the history of food and agriculture.
The Good Food Institute press release, June 21, 2023 GFI press release, 2023 -
FDA clears cultured pork fat (Mission Barns)
The FDA completed a consultation for a food made with cultured pork fat cells, the first US milestone for a cultured fat rather than muscle. The agency's update refers to the firm as 'Mission Barn.'
Primary source 05 / 06
The FDA has no questions at this time about Mission Barn's conclusion that food made with cultured pork fat cells resulting from the production process defined in the pre-market consultation are as safe as comparable foods produced by other methods.
US Food and Drug Administration Constituent Update, March 7, 2025 FDA Constituent Update, 2025 -
FDA clears cultured salmon (Wildtype)
The FDA's response letter to Wildtype closed consultation CCC 000005 with no questions about the safety of the company's cultured salmon cell material, the first cultured seafood to reach this stage in the US.
Primary source 06 / 06
We have no questions at this time regarding Wildtype's conclusion that foods comprised of or containing cultured salmon cell material ... resulting from the production process defined in CCC 000005 are as safe as comparable foods produced by other methods.
US Food and Drug Administration response letter to Wildtype, Inc., signed May 28, 2025 FDA response letter, CCC 000005, 2025
How to read the ledger
Two patterns stand out. The FDA's safety verdict is always the same careful phrase, 'no questions at this time,' and it always precedes the right to sell, which only the USDA grant delivered. And the products are widening: chicken, then pork fat, then salmon. This ledger updates as new letters are published. If a milestone is not on it, we could not find a public document to anchor it.