USDA, FDA Agree to Jointly Regulate Cell-Based Meat Products

The Good Food Institute, Turtle Island Foods (Tofurky brand), and civil liberties and animal rights groups have filed a lawsuit challenging the law’s constitutionality and requested a motion for preliminary injunction. Just as the federal GMO labeling law has pre-empted state-enacted GMO laws, it is likely that federal regulatory decisions will impact state food labeling requirements.

Funding Moving Forward

Dozens of companies worldwide are developing alternative protein food products. In addition to Memphis Meats these include Beyond Meat, Amy’s Kitchen, JUST, Inc. (formerly Hampton Creek), Finless Foods, and Morningstar Farms in the U.S.; Cauldron Foods, Quorn Foods, and Vbites Food in the U.K.; Garden Protein International in Canada; Mosa Meat and Meatless B.V. in The Netherlands; SuperMeat and Future Meat Technologies in Israel; and Integriculture in Japan. Numerous small startups, such as San Francisco-based New Age Meats, are also hoping to gain a foothold in this burgeoning industry.

Memphis Meats has received $17 million in venture capital funding from a group of investors including Cargill, Virgin Group founder Richard Branson, and Microsoft founder Bill Gates. So far, the company has raised at least $22 million, including funding from Tyson New Ventures LLC, a $150-million venture capital fund.

Not surprisingly, given the overlap in cell-culture technology, biotech companies are showing an interest in cell-based food research and production. M Ventures, the corporate VC arm of pharmaceutical giant Merck, for example, has provided part of an initial €7.5 million ($8.5 million) investment into Mosa Meat. Merck has expertise in cell media, which currently comprises 80 percent of the cost of cultured meat. Mosa Meat plans to construct a pilot production plant by 2021, which is also when Memphis Meats expects to launch its first commercial products in the U.S.