SAN FRANCISCO – Cultured meat producer, Eat Just Inc., announced the use of its cultured chicken as an ingredient in chicken bites has been approved to sell in Singapore, making it the first country in the world to commercialize cell-based meat products. According to the company, after two years of extensive testing and review of its process, the Singapore Food Agency gave the product the go ahead.

Eat Just has other chicken products in the pipeline as part of its Good Meat portfolio. The initial launch in Singapore is planned to be on a small scale, starting with a single restaurant as the company scales production and works toward reducing the cost of the product. It is being marketed as a healthier and more sustainable protein option.

“Singapore has long been a leader in innovation of all kinds, from information technology to biologics to now leading the world in building a healthier, safer food system,” said Josh Tetrick, chief executive officer and co-founder of Eat Just. “I'm sure that our regulatory approval for cultured meat will be the first of many in Singapore and in countries around the globe. Working in partnership with the broader agriculture sector and forward-thinking policymakers, companies like ours can help meet the increased demand for animal protein as our population climbs to 9.7 billion by 2050.”

As part of the development process overseas, the company established a partnership with local food manufacturers in Singapore to produce the product. The development is solidifying Singapore’s reputation as a global hotbed for entrepreneurial businesses and especially for sustainable culinary innovation in the Asia-Pacific region, according to the company. Earlier this year, Eat Just announced a partnership with investors led by Proterra Investment Partners Asia Pte. Ltd, to build and operate a plant protein production facility in Singapore to manufacture Eat Just’s plant-based Just Egg products across Asia.

“Cultured meat’s role in creating a safer, more secure global food supply has been well-documented, and the last decade has given rise to a steady increase in the application of animal cell culture technology toward the development of food products,” the company said.

In addition to the SFA’s approval, Eat Just’s chicken was approved for human consumption by a consortium of international scientists who are considered experts in food safety, toxicology, cell biology and medicine, according to the company.