ALAMEDA, CALIF. —GOOD Meat, the cultivated meat division of Eat Just Inc., received a “no questions” letter from the US Food and Drug Administration declaring its cultivated chicken product safe to eat.

GOOD Meat awaits the approval of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) before it can begin to commercially offer its cultivated chicken at US foodservice and retail locations.

“Receiving a ‘no questions’ letter from the FDA and a subsequent clearance from the USDA will allow GOOD Meat to scale up manufacturing and begin introducing its products to American consumers,” said Dan Glickman, GOOD Meat advisory board member and former US Secretary of Agriculture and member of the US House of Representatives. “Just as the United States has been a global leader in modernizing conventional food and agriculture techniques, it too can lead in the emerging alternative protein space. Today’s announcement is one such example.” 

The company said José Andrés, member of GOOD Meat’s board of directors and chef and owner of José Andrés Group, which operates over 30 restaurants nationwide, will be the first restauranteur in the United States to offer GOOD Meat’s product once the USDA gives the greenlight.

“The future of our planet depends on how we feed ourselves … and we have a responsibility to look beyond the horizon for smarter, sustainable ways to eat,” Andrés said. “GOOD Meat is doing just that, pushing the boundary on innovative, new solutions, and I’m excited for everyone to taste the result.”

While the United States has not allowed the sale of cultivated meat due to pending regulatory review commercially, Singapore has begun commercial cultivated meat production. Eat Just became the first company to sell its cultivated meat products in the Singapore market in December 2020.

“Since Singapore approved GOOD Meat for sale, we knew this moment was next,” said Josh Tetrick, co-founder and chief executive officer of GOOD Meat and Eat Just. “I am so proud to bring this new way of making meat to my country and to do it with a hero of mine, Chef José Andrés.”

GOOD Meat’s regulatory approval from the FDA follows the first “no questions” letter for cultivated meat sent to Upside Foods in November 2022. Upside Foods is waiting for USDA approval as well.

Cultivated meat adheres to joint regulatory approval from the FDA and the USDA. FDA oversees cell collection, cell banks, and cell growth and differentiation. Production and labeling of food products derived from cultured cells of livestock and poultry fall under USDA’s jurisdiction.