World's first approved lab-grown chicken to be sold in S'pore soon

World's first.

Ashley Tan | December 02, 2020, 11:54 AM

People in Singapore might soon get to try cultured, or lab-grown, chicken.

U.S. food technology firm Eat Just announced on Dec. 2 that their cultured chicken has been approved for sale in Singapore as an ingredient in chicken bites, after a rigorous consultation and review process.

This is the world's first regulatory approval for cultured meat.

Chicken from the lab

Eat Just's cultured chicken is made from animal cells, and no antibiotics are used in the process of manufacturing.

The firm states that the protein content for cultured chicken is higher than that of real chicken, is a "rich source of minerals", and has "extremely low and significantly cleaner microbiological content".

Pictures of their cultured chicken show it cooked in a variety of ways.

Photo from Eat Just

Photo from Eat Just

Photo from Eat Just

Will be sold at Eat Just restaurant in Singapore

The cultured chicken will be launched here under Eat Just's GOOD Meat brand.

Although cultured meat is currently not sold anywhere in the world, the Singapore Food Agency has granted Eat Just regulatory approval.

The company is aiming to make cultured chicken readily accessible to the public — they will be opening their first restaurant sometime soon in Singapore, prior to selling cultured chicken at supermarkets here.

More details about their restaurant will be released at a later date.

It is uncertain how much their products will cost. Eat Just told Mothership that their cultured chicken products will be at "price parity for premium chicken", and that their "costs will continue to drop".

Photo from Eat Just

Earlier in October, Eat Just also announced its plan to build a plant-based egg production facility in Singapore.

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Top photo from Eat Just