In a historic move for the food system and fantastic news for the animals, the USDA has given two brands full approval to sell their cell-based chicken in America!

It will be first introduced in a San Francisco restaurant, meaning cell-based meat is a reality.

The emergence and now reality of cell-based or lab-grown meat has the potential to be a real watershed moment for the animal rights movement. And I, for one, am excited about the prospect.

In these early days, I believe the potential is not so much in restaurants but in the fast food industry. The mind boggles at the number of animals needed to supply all the Mcdonald’s, Burger Kings, Burger Fuels, and Carl’s Jrs, and they’re only the tip of the iceberg. Think of even the Ma and Pa takeaway stores. They also need burger patties. If just Mcdonald’s switched to cell-based meat, more than 7 million cattle would be saved annually. I can’t even imagine how many cattle die for all the burger chains and stores worldwide.

What is cell-based meat?

Cell-based meat is created by cultivating and multiplying animal cells in a nutritious liquid, causing them to grow into usable muscle tissue. No living animals are harmed in the process – scientists simply take a small biopsy of cells from an animal and replicate them endlessly in laboratories.

The Benefits

The benefits of cell-based meat are immense. It allows us to produce meat without the cruelty, environmental damage and public health risks associated with industrial animal agriculture. No animals have to suffer and die to satiate our carnivorous appetites. Massive reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, land use, water use and antibiotic resistance become possible.

The cell-based meat industry is still in its early stages but growing rapidly. Several startups have already produced lab-grown beef, poultry and seafood, with costs coming down and taste/texture improving. As I mentioned at the start of this post, regulatory approval and commercialisation have already begun.

For animal advocates, especially vegans, the advent of cell-based meat presents an incredible opportunity to make the idea of animal-free meat a mainstream reality. This does not mean we have to eat it! But we should be whole-heartedly supporting it and encouraging the omnivores. If they really must eat meat, they should make cell-based meat their reality.

After centuries of unspeakable cruelty to farm animals, a more compassionate and sustainable food system may finally be within reach. With sufficient support, cell-based meat has the potential not just to disrupt the meat industry but fundamentally alter our relationship with animals used for food.

We stand at a true turning point. With vision and determination, we could see the dawn of a post-animal era of nutrition.

Until next time…