The Singapore Food Agency has given a green signal to the US-based startup “Eat” to sell its lab-grown chicken in the country, becoming the first in the world to allow the sale and consumption of lab cultured meat.
The chicken cultured in the laboratory will be first sold as chicken nuggets while it is yet to be specified when the product will be available in the market.
Initial news states that the product’s sale will start at a particular restaurant to branch out later and expand to selling to more restaurants and even convenience stores. The product will be debuted in Singapore under the GOOD Meat brand.
Securing a market for lab-grown meat will be a major win for not only “faux meat” producers but also animals and the climate, as it may arguably be one of the most sustainable ways of farming and food production yet.
East Just produces the faux chicken using animal muscle cells, thus avoiding killing any chickens. The company uses this innovative method to source cells from animals to give them little to no harm; this includes biopsies. This comes as a surprise as the company specializes in producing eggs and meat alternatives.
Producers can also hope to win buy-in from vegetarians and vegans who prefer plant-based options for the sake of preventing harming animals. If other countries follow suit, this could easily grow to be a revolutionary sustainable food production method.
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the importance of self-reliance in food production for countries has become even more obvious, seeing how imports and exports were unprecedentedly affected.
As Singapore currently imports about 90 percent of its food items, this initiative by Eat Just may prove to be one of the first few steps towards a more self-reliant food industry for the nation.