Which lab-grown meat products are currently approved for sale in the United States?
Executive summary
As of the reporting in these sources, U.S. federal regulators have cleared only cell‑cultured chicken products from two companies — Upside Foods and GOOD Meat — for sale, with initial approvals coming from FDA “no‑questions” findings and USDA grants of inspection [1] [2]. Sources note these approvals have so far been limited to select restaurants and regulatory processes are still required for other species (beef, pork, seafood) and wider retail distribution [1] [3].
1. What’s actually approved in the U.S. — the narrow legal fact
Federal agencies have approved cultivated chicken from two Bay‑Area companies: Upside Foods and GOOD Meat. The FDA issued “no further questions” letters about safety and the USDA subsequently issued inspection/marketing approvals that allow the firms to produce and sell their cell‑cultured chicken under federal meat and poultry rules [2] [1].
2. Where you can realistically find it — distribution is still tiny
Although federally approved, these products are not broadly available in supermarkets. Early plans and limited rollouts target high‑end restaurants — for example Upside’s partnership with Bar Crenn in San Francisco and GOOD Meat’s planned placements with chef José Andrés’ group — rather than immediate mass‑retail distribution [2] [3]. Multiple outlets emphasize that scaling capacity and infrastructure, not regulatory permission alone, remain the primary barriers to widespread availability [2] [4].
3. What’s not approved — and what would require new approvals
Approval so far covers only chicken. Producers must undergo separate regulatory pathways to market other cultivated species (beef, pork, many seafoods); the FDA/USDA framework treats different species and product categories under distinct review processes, meaning claims about “lab‑grown beef” or other meats being approved in the U.S. are not supported by these sources [1] [5].
4. Conflicting Signals in reporting — “approved” versus “on sale”
Some outlets frame federal approvals as historic approvals to sell in the U.S., while others stress the practical reality that the products have had only brief, limited service at a handful of restaurants and are not yet in retail commerce nationwide [6] [7]. For example, the USDA approvals are milestone regulatory steps [2], but state laws and production realities mean cell‑cultured meat “is not being produced for consumption or sale” at scale in the U.S., according to some state‑law coverage [7].
5. State‑level politics and legal friction
A number of state legislatures have reacted — some with bans or proposed restrictions — creating a patchwork that could complicate distribution even after federal sign‑off. Reporting highlights Florida and Alabama as early states to enact bans on sale/production of cell‑cultured meat, showing a political countercurrent to federal approvals [7] [8].
6. International context and where other cultivated products have moved first
Singapore led the world by authorizing cultivated meat for sale (Eat Just/GOOD Meat), and other countries such as Israel and Australia have progressed on specific products; by 2025 observers counted approvals and clearances for several companies across multiple jurisdictions, but the U.S. approvals remain focused on the two chicken products noted above [3] [8] [9].
7. Industry and scalability caveats — the practical hurdle everyone cites
Industry and analysts quoted in these sources say the limiting factor is scale: current production capacity is tiny (examples show only pounds per week in early plants), and companies and commentators expect several years to build the factories needed for national distribution and affordable pricing [4] [2]. Available sources repeatedly identify cost, infrastructure and regulatory labels as the principal obstacles to mainstream availability [4] [5].
8. How to interpret “approved” when you read headlines
“Approved for sale” in the federal sense means a technical regulatory clearance for specific cultivated chicken products from specified companies; it does not mean the products are widely sold or that other cultivated meats are cleared. Readers should treat headlines claiming broad market availability or multiple approved species as overstating what these sources document [1] [2].
Limitations and final note: these conclusions are drawn only from the provided reporting. Available sources do not mention any other U.S. companies or additional species having completed full federal approvals beyond Upside Foods and GOOD Meat’s chicken, nor do they provide a retail‑scale launch date [1] [2] [3].